


Fated, Faithful or Fatal?

by syntheticvision



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alpha Bucky Barnes, Alpha Reader Father, Alpha Steve Rogers, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Breeding, Breeding Kink, Dark Steve Rogers, Dark fic, Dystopia, Extremely Dubious Consent, F/M, Familicide, Forced Marriage, Mentions of Death, Misopaterism, Non-Consensual Drug Use, POV First Person, Philogyny, Protests, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Vaginal Fingering, Violence, dark bucky barnes, forced engagement, mentions of misogyny, mentions of torture, scenting kink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:41:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 28,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27685736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/syntheticvision/pseuds/syntheticvision
Summary: Tony Stark got his way and actually built a security blanket around the world. There's peace and security.But not for everyone.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, Steve Rogers/Reader
Comments: 115
Kudos: 238





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had the strangest dystopian dream last night and wrote it down before I forgot. I've been stressed out this week so perhaps that's where this burst of creativity came from. 
> 
> Yes, I know, I know. ABO is not everyone's cup of tea BUT I enjoy the power struggle and I've tried to tweak it a little to fit the theme. There will be some misogyny references but also philogyny because I like to keep it complicated. I will caution that there are strong themes of misopaterism, which will come into play a few chapters along because well, when I go dark, I commit.
> 
> And this shall be dark. As always, I will tag as I go along but I will also use notes when we go down darker territory. Comments are always nice but if you're reading along as a spectator, I appreciate you too!
> 
> The first chapter will be world building. We are introducing Mark, an AI and as a shout out to Stark's armor. The AI looks like Vision, almost a carbon copy.

The snow blanketed the cemetery, the sun glittering on the fresh powder. In this early hour, it was just me, footsteps sinking into the ground to leave a trail of steps to the mausoleum. Even in death, my mother commanded respect. Even if she didn't deserve it.

I hadn't come here for her. I'd come here for someone else, a face I could not forget that looked back at me every morning. The one who was stolen from me after the war.

My twin sister.

Peace had been fought and secured by Tony Stark, a system of checks and balances put in place with him holding the key. It was meant for good, once. But it hadn't been easy. People had died, families had been fractured.

What the world gained, I had lost.

I wiped the snow off of the bench, watching it ceremoniously fall to the ground before I sat, my jacket shielding me from the cold and wet surface. It gave me a sense of normal, seeing her name etched in the marble that my father had spared no expense on. This would be where I would take my place when it was my time to go, together in birth and together in eternal sleep. The tattoo on my wrist, minimal enough to not be noticed, told the story of why I was saved and she was not. A tweak in my DNA that made me more viable than her. Worth saving, my father had said pointedly. Biology was cruel. Somewhere far in our family lineage, we were once animals, staying in packs and thinning out the weak. We evolved, he'd reminded me, to be better people than the animalistic chromosomes that swam in my bloodline.

If only he practiced what he preached.

"There's a gala tonight," I said quietly, my breath appearing in the frigid air. "Remember when we used to match all the time? I found this ridiculous dress and there was the exact same one behind it so I took that as a sign."

My gloved hands stroked the roses in my lap, the leather catching on the thorns for a moment as I tried to keep it together.

"I wish I knew what he was planning," I continued, the cold air biting against my cheeks. "You were always so good at being one step ahead. You knew him better than I did. I can't know what he's thinking but it feels like a trap."

My watch vibrated against my wrist, an alert that I only had ten minutes left. So much of this world had changed. Curfews for my kind were before the sun went down, shuttled away from sight to watch the rest of the world continue on. There had been protests and riots at the restrictions that had been placed. Then people began to disappear, flyers of missing loved ones placed on telephone poles and on shuttered businesses' windows that collapsed due to the curfew.

She had been one of them until we had found her.

The heaviness in my chest threatened to close again and I placed the flowers in the vases, both for her and our mother. I bowed my head in respect, conditioned to do so at such an early age that it felt wrong to stray from tradition.

"I love you." My words were strained now, the lump in my throat forming before I took a step back. "I'll be back next week."

The sun nearly blinded me as I made the walk back to the gates, my watchful guardian ever present once I passed through, his expression hard as stone.

"Did you enjoy your visit?" It was always the same question, programmed to emulate empathy.

"Yes, Mark," I answered, waiting for him to open the door to the waiting car.

"Good. I hope it brought you comfort."

I settled back in my seat, drops of water still on my gloves from the snow that I wiped on my heavy jacket.

"Your father has requested your presence at his home."

Dread filled me at the announcement as we pulled away from the curb. My instinct had been right after all. Usually I was summoned by phone call, his orders demanded before the call was disconnected. This could only mean that whatever he was going to share with me he wanted to make sure he did it in person. I'd grown accustomed to this trend and it never ended well.

🕊

Keegan, my father's butler, helped me out of my coat with a small smile.

"It is good to have you home, Miss." His branded hand caught my attention, the marks faded but still visible that ignited my temper once more. A throwback from his youth when he had tried to run away from servitude. Much older now, he'd lived a better life but it was still in fear, something that neither of us could shake. Not with who we were.

"It's good to see you, Keegan. Where is my father?"

"In his study. He's waiting for you."

I took the steps slowly, fingers gripping the polished wood with every stair. The door to his study was down the hall, closed and waiting for me to knock. Pictures of us in what he deemed happier times anointed the hallway, portraits of us smiling in our fancy clothes, his hands on our shoulders as if he was a proud father. If only that were true.

I knocked twice, waiting for his permission to enter. When none came, I simply waited. I wasn't going to play his usual game.

"Come in," he said quietly.

I'd gotten close to the door to make sure that I had heard him. As a child, I'd learned my lesson from staying too far away to make him repeat himself.

Once I opened the door, he locked his computer, motioning for me to sit as I closed the door behind me. It felt like I was in trouble, even if I hadn't done anything. He'd always been tall, imposing and strong. What he was meant to be - a protector. I waited for him to speak, the once dark hair on his head now gray, making him look even more sinister. Deep wrinkles in his face had begun to set in, etched on his once admired face.

"Timely today," he noted. "Good girl."

I stared at his desk, the clock ticking behind me as the only reply. A picture of me from my college graduation was placed on his desk. We'd both graduated together.

"I trust there will be no surprises tonight. You will be on my arm as my guest and I will not allow any outbursts. This evening is important."

"Yes." If this was what he had brought me all the way here for, I was ready to end it quickly so that I could go home and prepare. To get this night over with.

"Yes, who?" he asked, his voice low. Threatening.

I set my jaw, the clock still ticking in my ears.

"Yes, Alpha."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short but don't let that fool you as we continue onward.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark has a glitch.
> 
> At the gala, a confession is made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a blink and you'll miss it breeding kink. I think we've got the gist of the world we are in so we can steamroll into darker things in the next chapter.

Once the car was parked, Mark opened the door, his hand outstretched as I took it. Amid the people walking past, he stood by my side, closing the door behind me as I looked up at the high rise. Despite the design, it was meant to be a prison, no matter how the security features were explained. He held out his arm, waiting for me to slip my own under his before he guided me up the steps.

“Your dresses arrived. They’ll be waiting for you to decide which one you will wear tonight.”

“I’d rather not go,” I admitted, Mark pushing the elevator call button as he inched closer toward me, creating a wall between myself and the incoming residents.

“Your father would be most displeased if you did not comply.”

At the sound of the doors opening, we stepped inside, Mark looking left and right before he selected the button to my floor. He was always on alert, scanning for any threat that could come my way.

I’d imagined how it would feel to skip this gala, to leave the city and never return. I’d dreamed about it so much that it almost felt real, my heart skipping a beat at the thought of what was beyond the horizon. It was silly of me to think that I’d get far. Not for those like me.

When I pushed open the door to my bedroom, there were three dresses hanging up in white bags. Mark stopped in the doorway as I pulled down the zippers. All virginal white, intricate ball gowns that were fit to my measurements.

“Beautiful, aren’t they?” Mark asked behind me.

“I hate them,” I replied, eyeing one on the right with silver appliques. “I'm too old to play dress up.”

“I do not know what you mean.”

I reached out to touch the fabric of the one in the middle, a sparkly tulle that glittered under my fingertips. This was the one my father would choose. Ethereal in a way that he would appreciate in his own weird way. The one on the left was plain with a full skirt. Much too ordinary for the amount of fanfare that was going into this party.

“It means…” I trailed off, pulling the middle dress off before I placed it on the bed. It was not worth arguing. “Nothing, Mark.”

“You are always free to be honest in your opinions with me. You know that.”

The boxes of shoes were waiting for me to try them on, my irritation rising. Soon there would be people arriving for hair and makeup, applying their magic so that the high definition cameras that captured all angles would see nothing but flawless skin. This amount of work been my mother’s job. She loved posing for the cameras, her adoration for our father frozen with a single snap of a button.

“Mark,” I began, pulling the designer shoes from their boxes. “How long have you been my guardian?”

“Since you were ten years old. It has been my finest honor to serve you.”

“But it was not just me,” I hinted. “It was both of us.”

“I do not recall what you are talking about,” Mark answered as I dropped the shoes back onto the bed. “I have always only served you.”

“There were two of us, Mark. You were _our_ guardian, remember?”

“I do not wish to upset you,” Mark replied calmly. “I assure you it is not my intent. But I have only been your guardian up until this point.”

“Get out,” I snapped, tears filling my eyes. The implication of what had happened had sunk in.

“The hairdresser -”

“I don’t care!” My voice was louder than I had expected, the pangs of tears beginning to form. “Let them wait. Just get out.”

“As you wish,” Mark said quietly, closing the door behind me.

We were ten when our characteristics rose to the surface, our varying dynamics on display under the watchful eye of our parents. In this society, my father took no chances with human caregivers and commissioned a guardian for us, a carbon copy of an AI named Jarvis in a synthetic body.

Mark.

Beside my sister, Mark had been my only companion, someone I came to rely on after she was gone. He had kept her alive in his memory bank. My father had now seen to it that she now existed only in my mind.

🕊

A white shawl was settled over my shoulders, the final spritz of an expensive perfume infused with my pheromones settling on my skin.

“Your father awaits,” Mark called out from behind the closed door.

Prim and proper, my mother had always chastised me, her voice searing into my thoughts as I stood up. A celebration gala to commemorate the fourth year of peace and security. For me, it was the fourth year of my sister's death. It was hard to be happy.

But he would command it.

Mark was dressed in a tuxedo, a faint smile on his face while he guided me to the door.

“You’ll have a good time. Trust me.”

It was meant to cheer me up until I remembered that I could trust no one. Not even the guardian that had been made for us. Not when everything he knew about us could be wiped clean.

By the time we reached the lobby, the black car that sat waiting made me want to run the opposite direction. It would not be worth it. The tattoo on my wrist was a reminder of that punishment. Marked no matter where I went.

When the door opened, my father took one long glance at me with a confident nod, dressed in his military uniform, his medals adorning the jacket. Once I settled in the seat next to him, I heard the front passenger door close as Mark got inside.

“Very nice, daughter. I knew you would not disappoint me.”

I hated that it mattered to me, wanting to please him even though I desperately did not want to care. Staring out the window as the car pulled away was my way of taking in a change of scenery, the only sound between us the low purr of the air condition, a symptom of who he was – always hot, no matter where he was. I shivered under the shawl as he settled back in his seat.

“When we arrive, we walk down the line for photos. You are to keep your eyes on me at all times. Where I go, you follow. Once the photos are complete, you go inside. Mark will accompany you inside. And that is where you will wait for me, do you understand?”

I nodded, watching the trees whizz past under the streetlights. More rules to follow without the follow up of a threat if I did not comply. Which meant that it would be severe.

“If your mother was here, I wouldn’t have to recite these rules. You are not allowed to embarrass me. Not ever but especially this evening. There will be eyes on you. It’s high time you realized your worth. Your purpose.”

It was better to stay silent. He exhaled deeply, shaking his head.

“So much loss we’ve endured. You'll prove your value,” he affirmed, his knuckles brushing against my cheek. "You will not fail me."

🕊

I’d kept my eyes on him, the dutiful daughter looking up at her father in adoration, taking my cues from the way my mother looked at him. I was never addressed, his large hand over mine as he pulled me down the photo line, stopping to haul me against him in an embrace that seemed warm. Foreign to me as he’d never shown an ounce of emotion in that regard in our private lives. When we reached the final photographer, Mark was there to take me away, hide me from sight as he waved to the press. A fitting prop to his legacy.

Mark held my arm tight as we continued past the guests who were milling around, my eyes on the floor as I’d been directed so as to not bring attention to myself, despite the pheromones that I knew were in the air from the specialty designed perfume.

I took in the ballroom, filled with lush trees and lights, an orchestra playing a light tune. A far cry from the outside where I had seen the protestors a block away, smaller than before but still present, the signs they were holding not to commemorate this anniversary but to remind those that drove past that lives had been lost.

I certainly would never forget.

“Your father should arrive shortly,” Mark began. “What would you like to eat? There is a wonderful selection here from what I was able to see on the menu.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“It is customary to partake, even if it is a small amount. If you are worried about your figure, I assure you this would not cause you to go outside of your dietary restrictions.”

The menu was over the top, with various cuts of meats and options for every diet. The white dress, while done on purpose, was also to deter me from eating. I’d order the salad and let it sit on the plate to blend in.

“He’s almost here,” Mark reminded me, smoothing out the shawl over my shoulders. Another walk in front of the masses.

Without missing a beat, he stood next to me, his hand finding mine as he held it tightly.

“We wait until we are called. I lead the way.”

“Yes, Father,” I answered, already exhausted by the commands.

I gasped as he applied pressure.

“You forget your place.”

“Yes, Alpha,” I corrected myself, the sting still throbbing in my hand. I stared straight ahead as the crowd flowed into their seats, the tune upbeat as I tried to think of happier times.

“You need to calm down. I can smell it on you.”

I wanted to scream. I lifted my head, trying to take a cleansing breath to get into a better headspace so that my body could adjust and he could stop scenting me. When a camera came into view, he leaned down to brush his lips against my forehead, a protective move albeit one that would be used for the magazine covers he would adorn in a few days.

“Please, be seated,” the announcer said warmly, adjusting his microphone at the podium. “We are delighted to have you here tonight for this momentous occasion. Four years ago, our planet was on the brink of destruction. One man had the courage to do what others could not. He was brow beaten, told it was impossible and yet, here we are. Safe and protected. Let us understand that it was Tony Stark who was brave enough to make the decision to put a security system around the world that is in place today. But it was also his fellow Avengers who saw the importance of what it meant to keep us free. Freedom is not free, my friends. Far from it. We stand together, united as one as we remember the lives that were lost. Confused souls who did not understand the weight of what this meant. We protect those who cannot protect themselves, much in thanks to what Mr. Stark had completed. I know we are all missing dear ones right now, myself included. They paid the ultimate sacrifice. We will never forget them.”

Protecting those who could not protect themselves meant gilded cages for me, like myself. For others, there were centers, monitored and secure to make sure that we were safe. Curfews enacted, guardians placed and all in the name of freedom. As he continued on, my father nodded in agreement, his hand still holding mine as if I was a child again.

“Smile.” My father’s voice ordered. “We’re almost ready to be announced.”

“And so it was that we owe our freedom to so many men and women. Mr. Stark regrets that he cannot be here tonight but he did want to show respect for our beloved retired General, who was in the trenches with Mr. Stark's father, Howard, who was an ally in this fight for peace and security. I know you will join me in welcoming him and his lovely daughter who is accompanying him tonight.”

Our names were announced and he got a standing ovation, just like I knew he would. He bathed in the praise, my steps trying to keep up with his as my arm rested on his own. He waved to the ground, a frozen smile on my face as I passed by a table that made me lift my head.

Alphas. Two of them. In the bright spotlight, I couldn’t make them out but I knew they were there by their scents. Everything seemed like it was in slow motion until Mark pulled out my chair and I sat down, my father looking over at the tables, his head held high.

I wondered if Julius Caesar looked the same way before his assassination.

“Did you see them?” His question broke me out of my thoughts and I panicked to try to answer correctly.

“The tables?”

Judging by his glare, it was not the answer he was looking for.

“I know you scented them,” he snapped. “You can’t hide it, no matter how much smarter you think you are than me.”

Another round of applause kept me busy, my eyes on the table where two sets of eyes watched me right back in the low light.

“Alphas,” he confirmed, nodding to them as I focused on the expensive tablecloth. “Aren’t you curious?”

“No,” I whispered, forcing another smile as a camera panned past.

More speeches and applause followed. I could still feel their eyes on me as I busied myself with taking sips of water, avoiding the direction of their table as I silently cursed my father. This was more than matchmaking.

When the final speech was complete and the applause had died down, a wide smile appeared across my father’s face as he looked up. I knew better than to try to leave, finishing the remaining water in my glass as a man in his uniform, decorated almost as much as my father’s, approached the table. A Captain once but now a General, Steven Grant Rogers gave a nod of his head to my father before he turned his attention to me.

“General Rogers,” my father greeted, extending his hand. “It’s been too long. Congratulations on your promotion. Very well deserved.”

I didn’t dare look up. It was what my father wanted and I preferred to keep busy with pretending I was not listening to their conversation by smoothing out the napkin in front of me. Ordering me to look at him was a bit much, even for him. But I could still scent him. Leather, sandalwood and sea salt. I’d grown up knowing scents. It had been a characteristic I’d learned to adapt to so I wouldn’t be swayed.

“This,” my father introduced, raising my hand up over his. “Is my daughter.”

Prop. I’d fixed it for him. I knew my cues and I let my eyes coast over his features. Handsome, of course, those blue eyes fixated on me from top to bottom, a smile cresting on his lips.

“It is pleasure to meet you,” Steve said in an almost purr as he lifted my hand from my father’s to kiss the top of it. A polite gesture from afar but he was scenting me, goosebumps appearing on my arms. “I don’t suppose you would let your gorgeous daughter dance with me, would you?”

I didn’t want to dance. I didn’t want to be here, period. But it was never up to me. Not while I was in his presence. Too many eyes were watching for me to get up and walk away. If I caused a scene, I didn’t want to think of what the repercussions could be.

“She would be in good hands,” my father answered, lifting the shawl from my shoulders. A silent urging to do what he expected.

When I lifted myself from my chair, I was led onto the dance floor, eyes on his shiny shoes as he placed his hands carefully on my waist.

“It’s been a while since I’ve danced, let alone with someone so lovely,” Steve admitted, leading the way as the music swirled around us.

I supposed the optics looked good, a brand new General dancing with the daughter of a retired one. We floated between the other couples on the dance floor, my mother’s years of forced ballroom dancing lessons paying off. As the music slowed, he brought me closer, my eyes looking away from my father as I focused on a medal on his jacket.

“You’re a very good dancer,” Steve praised. “How many years of practice?”

“Twelve years,” I responded flatly. I had no pressure to lie.

“Classically trained. And you’ve been trained so well.”

I lifted my head at the odd remark, his stare harder than before.

“I’ve been looking to settle down. I haven’t found the right one,” he confessed, spinning me around to the hushed awes of the women who were still sitting at the tables. “A trained Omega that knows her purpose. To be a good wife, sight unseen, ready to be bred at a moment’s notice. Those are so hard to find.”

He held me closer, his lips against my ear.

“And yet, here you are. Right in my arms.”

The music ended, applause surrounding us as he lifted up my chin as I stopped breathing, the room beginning to spin. I needed to find an exit.The music ended, applause surrounding us as he lifted up my chin as I stopped breathing, the room beginning to spin. I needed to find an exit. I caught my father’s dark grin of approval before I heard Steve’s words.

"Yes. You'll do perfectly."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve lays out his plans for the future.
> 
> An attack during a speech injures Mark as Bucky steps in to restore order.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I touched upon in the first chapter, this a dark fic. Some more mentions of breeding in this chapter and violence.
> 
> Also, Bucky is introduced this chapter but ahem, check the tags.

“Where are you going?” He spun me around again, bringing back to him. “Your father already knows. He brought you right to me.”

The music began to fade, giving me a chance to look for a way out. As people applauded, eyes still on us, he held my hand, all but pulling me away from the dance floor. Away from my father and Mark, who did not notice I was being led away, deep in conversation with another guest.

It was not lost on me the amount of power that Steve had, people stepping out of his way to allow him to continue forward. The watchful eyes were awash with the idolization of the man they held in high regard, sweeping the daughter of a former colleague across the dance floor. To them, a match made in heaven. Two lineages from the past coming together as one.

Cold air greeted me as we ended up on the balcony, his gaze behind me momentarily before I turned to see two guards standing at the entrance, blocking my only way out.

“What are you doing?” I demanded, rubbing my arms as the cold chilled my skin.

Somewhere a flash appeared below, a supposedly candid moment now frozen in time.

“Optics,” Steve informed me, looking over the balcony to stare at the photographers below with a raised eyebrow. “Creating the narrative. The public thrives on fairy tales.”

I took a step back as he looked past the snow covered trees in the distance. If I looked hard enough, I could make out the signs that still moved up and down, the perseverance of the protestors still going strong.

“You didn’t think you weren’t going to just be allowed to attend this celebration without being noticed, did you? The dress is a nice touch. Virginal.”

“I -”

“I know,” Steve interrupted, turning back to me. “You didn’t choose it. You didn’t have to. Your entire existence has been shaped for your future.”

“That’s not true.” It was an honest attempt at trying to lie.

“It isn’t? I loved an Alpha once,” Steve countered, ignoring my denial as he continued on, changing the subject. “She died. Leaving me alone.”

I’d remembered the stories, the funeral that he had attended of Margaret ‘Peggy’ Carter. The once true love of his life, as the stories went. A prohibited topic to bring up in conversation around him.

“Forbidden in those times, an Alpha mated to another Alpha.” His voice was bitter. “It served no purpose if no children were the result of the union, let alone fighting for dominance.”

He straightened his tie, his chin lifting slightly as he inhaled.

“I’ve moved on from it. My life has consisted of war. I need peace at home. The kind of peace that only an Omega can provide. Well-trained to be at my side during these types of celebrations, to be seen and not heard. To bend at my will, in my bed, begging to be knotted until you are caught with my sons. And you will continue to be bred. That is your purpose, the reason why your father brought you here tonight. You are a mate worthy of someone like myself. Your mother, God rest her soul, did her duty well. It appears you will follow in her footsteps.”

“Never.” Everything he had said had been spoken in social circles around me before - the promises of showing our worth as children until one of us had shown just how valuable she could be - and yet it still was appalling to hear that this was spoken so freely as what my life would become.

“You said sons,” I attempted to say, the bile rising in my throat at his dark prediction. “What you would do if you had daughters?”

With the look of confusion that had struck his face, it occurred to me that he had never given it a thought.

“Pray they would end up like their mother instead of your sister.”

“Don’t you ever mention her again,” I snapped, the fear I had now melting away into fury. “Ever.”

With a low laugh, he gave me another long gaze before he grabbed my arm, pulling me against him. It was meant to control, the rumble low in his chest before I knew what was coming next. A command that I was programmed to obey by the octave alone.

“That is the first and last time you will speak to me like that. I wouldn’t want your father to find out that his daughter has a rebellious streak. He’s already lost one for that undesirable trait. Go back inside,” he ordered, letting me go. “Your father is waiting."

🕊

Mark was waiting for me once I turned the corner.

"General Rogers seems like a nice man," Mark offered, sensing I was in no mood to speak as his lips were set in a frown. "You are unhappy."

"What does my father want?" My mind had been made up. I'd find a way to flee.

"He would not say. Only that he was looking for you."

The throng of people around him once I entered the ballroom made me sick to my stomach. More yes-men for him to surround himself with. Some on his payroll and others were not. All of them licking his boots to stay in his good graces. Even in retirement, people were afraid of him. He motioned for me to come forward, his hand outstretched in a fatherly manner.

I'd chop it off it I could.

"It's time for us to go. Did you have a good time?"

He pulled me along, past his group of cronies and allies while Mark followed behind, my shawl and purse in his hands. The other one, Lt. General Barnes, raised his glass at me while we moved past his table.

Down the steps to the waiting car, photographers snapping more photos before the door closed and the partition was raised.

"You could have told me." The amount of restraint I was displaying required more strength that I did not know I had. The car rolled away from the plaza, past the group of protestors that screamed obscenities as we went past. Still angry, still justified in their grief.

"I don't need to tell you anything. You know your place." He leaned back in his seat, smoothing out his tie. "You're moving back in with me for the time being."

"Why?" I didn't care if he was upset at my question. I'd lived apart from him for years. It made no sense to return back home.

"We believe it would be better to have you under the same roof. General Rogers agrees. It's safer this way. I don't want these undesirables getting any ideas they can show up at your apartment and try to sway you with their causes now that you have been seen with him."

Undesirables. The people protesting of the horrible conditions of how they were forced to live. The ones my sister rallied for. Fought for.

"You made me proud tonight. Do not ruin it with your questioning of my decisions. General Rogers is an exceptional Alpha. You'd do well to remember that."

I said nothing in response, wanting the pounding headache to go away. My window to running away was closing fast. He wasn't moving me back home to keep me safe. It was to keep me under his control.

"Tomorrow there is a statue reveal in the Remembrance Plaza. You will be General Rogers' guest. As such, I expect you to uphold yourself in a matter that dignifies who you are. It will be your first outing alone as I've turned down my invitation. It's time for me to truly retire. To focus on being a grandfather," he alluded.

🕊

The chill in the air did not help my mood, a line of protestors blocked off a road as Mark continued to rattle off the number of speakers at the event. I imagined that my sister was in the crowd, voice loud and with conviction before the crowd disappeared from my view as we turned the corner. More like me were missing, taking leaps of faith to speak up about the injustices of what peace and security had done for them. What news I could consume, I did in the safety of my own room, reading first hand accounts to get the true story. This statue was meant to commemorate the lives that were lost in the wars before and nod to the future for generations to continue the peace.

How could one continue peace when the fight was still raging?

I would not get my answers inside the car. Nor did I get them as the door opened. I was greeted by Steve, his hand helping me out of the car as I adjusted the wool coat around my neck. I could hear the faint chants and I shivered as I was led away. It sounded like it was getting closer. If it was, Steve had paid it no mind.

"I'm sure you feel safer being back home with your father. It's better that way," he declared, pausing on the steps as he pulled off his leather glove. His pheromones hit me, his wrist brushing against my jaw gently as he caressed my face, the nervousness in my system melting away at his scent. "Time to put all your training to good use."

It wasn't meant to be nice. It was meant to keep me docile and I nodded, the warmth spreading over my chest before he pulled his glove back on and took my arm in his, stopping to talk briefly to dignitaries and associates, introducing me as he waited for me to comply with what I had learned. A smile and a nod. Only speaking when spoken to. And my kind were never spoken to.

Mark took his place next to me as I was sandwiched in between them. I looked straight ahead at the podium, decorated with small flags to commemorate the lives that had been lost from various countries, the giant statue to the right covered in a black drape.

Cameras shuttered and flashed as the speaker came toward the podium, lifting his hands to let the applause die down. Even then, I could hear the chants. Clearer this time.

Closer.

As the applause faded and every set of eyes was on him, the man at the podium told the history of the wars that had been fought, alluding to the Avengers that had helped aid in the reconstruction of a battered world and Steve's shoulders raised at their full height as he was fawned over, looking straight ahead to the speaker. An Alpha move, posturing himself as I focused on the flags. A better life for all, the speech continued, keeping the ones that could further the world's population safe, made secure by the sacrifices of those higher in the chain of command.

It was meant to be that way until it wasn't. I'd seen it firsthand. It was only peaceful if you complied with the rules they had set in place.

A flash of white made me blink as the drape was removed, applause thunderous as the statue was revealed, a stark white model of children lifting each other up. A call to happier times and for the future.

Another flash of light appeared before I heard the noise, the sound of a crack that made my teeth chatter amid screaming that rattled down my spine. Smoke poured around us, Steve pulling me down to the ground as another explosion rang out, debris raining down on us as Mark covered me, Steve's mouth forming words that I deciphered to mean I was to stay put before he headed toward the noise. More screaming mixed in with chanting, now at levels too close to be ignored.

"I've got you," Mark assured, my eyes opening just barely to see the red fluid dripping under his eye as his coat was torn at the seams. He looked down at his injuries and back to me. "It's fine. Stay still."

Another crackle that sounded like gunfire, Mark pressing himself closer to me as bullets peppered the trees and the statue. My scream was muffled under his coat, the bullets ripping at the end of his coat as more red of fluid fell against my cheek.

"Mark," I whimpered, clinging to his coat as there was more gunshots, this time much faster and closer. He was lifted to his feet before I was, the scent still strong even as the smoke surrounded us. Another Alpha, clad in military fatigues and a gun at his side as he knelt down.

"We need to get you out of here. You follow my lead and don't look back. Understood?" He helped me to my feet, Mark still shielding me despite his injuries.

"Yes," I answered, his hand pulling me away. The screams didn't stop and neither did the gunfire, my head down as Mark followed behind.

The man threw open the door to an SUV, all but hauling me inside before Mark followed suit and he got in, tapping the side of the door loudly as the wheels spun and we shot forward.

Mark enveloped me in his arms, my tears dripping onto his ripped jacket.

"Stark Tower. We have a Mark 45 in need of repair," the man ordered over the radio.

Mark's arm did not move from around me as I rubbed the dirt away from my face and eyes. It was the same man from the table, his eyes watching me before he placed his gun on the seat, extending his hand. His dark hair was cut shorter, yet still longer than Steve's, a week's worth of a beard framing his face.

"Lieutenant general James Buchanan Barnes," he introduced himself, holding onto my hand a little longer than customary. "Don't worry. I've got you."

🕊

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. The door was opened and a team rushed to retrieve Mark, who reminded me in his calm voice that he would return shortly. For the first time in over twenty years, I was without my usual companion. At the close of the door, the Lt. General looked at his phone, a smile spreading across his lips.

"The plaza is secured," he radioed, the SUV moving once more.

I pulled my coat around me tighter. His scent hovered between us, hints of chocolate, tobacco and eucalyptus while I attempted to breathe.

"With Mark being in Stark's care, I've been put in charge of keeping you safe."

"I'm fine," I answered, unsure how I should tread with him.

"I'm sure you are but it isn't up to me and even if it was, I'd still insist. General Rogers made it quite clear that you were to be protected at all costs."

"Where are we going?"

"Back to your father's estate. I'll check back with Stark to get an update on Mark."

"What happened?"

Barnes smiled at me in that way that I had known so well from others. It was time for me to stop asking questions.

"Don't worry about it. Bold protestors got a little too close. Nothing we couldn't handle. You okay?"

I nodded quickly, trying to stop the shaking I know he could see in my hands as I put them on my lap.

"Here," he offered, taking my hands in his. "Just gotta breathe. Can you do that for me?"

His thumbs brushed against my wrists as I inhaled and exhaled as he nodded along until my heart rate felt normal.

"That's good. Do you feel better?"

"Yes."

He let my hands go, his thumb sliding against his lips.

"Just relax. You'll be home before you know it."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark returns home with a revelation. Bucky mounts an investigation from the attack as Steve shows his strength.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've lit a match y'all.

Both my father and Steve were waiting for me when we arrived, standing outside as the SUV slowed to a stop. Barnes ran his tongue over his lips once more, inhaling deeply before he smirked at the sight of them.

“See? Safe and sound.”

The door opened and I knew where I needed to go first. My father lifted up my chin, examining the streaks of dirt and red fluid that had dried on my face as he moved my head from side to side. It was faint, but the scent of anxiety hung in the air. He’d been worried. It would have made me care for him if it wasn't for the thought that he was only worried about his bloodline.

“Not a scratch, General,” Barnes announced behind me, my father allowing a slow nod of his head. “Mark proved very valuable in that regard.”

“Of course he did,” my father praised. “I assume Stark has already begun the repairs?”

“I’m told he is already in the regeneration cradle.”

“Perfect,” Steve responded, giving a short nod to Barnes. “I’m thankful that you were able to bring her back safe.”

“Did you ever doubt me?” Barnes winked at his friend. “I imagine she can’t go anywhere without you knowing.”

“Her safety is my number one priority.” Steve stared right at me when he spoke, his head lifting slightly as he took a step closer. “I’m sure you were afraid.”

He straightened my coat, drenching me in pheromones as I tried not to breathe it in, knowing I was being scented in full view. His hand brushed over my neck as he adjusted the scarf, the primal gland from centuries prior humming in response to the touch.

“I’m fine,” I managed to answer. My heart fluttered at his smile, stirring something within that I pushed out of my thoughts. Simple biology explained the reaction. I didn’t need the disruption.

“We have work to do,” Steve instructed to Barnes. “She’ll stay here until Mark returns. We’ll need to have a full report ready within the hour. The coroner made his final count. They’ll need the numbers.”

More fatalities. I turned around, heading up the steps to go to my room. More lives lost for the cause of wanting to be treated with dignity. I half expected one of them to order to me to stop. But there was nothing but the sounds of my footsteps before I slammed the door behind me as I ran up the stairs.

🕊

It was dark when I felt the dip of the mattress, a blanket covering me as a hand brushed my hair out of the way. The small act was simple but it made all the difference to me.

“Mark?” The small weight on my shoulder stilled for moment at my question.

“Yes. I’m here. It’s alright.”

I got up, feeling for the light before he took my hand.

“I remember her.” It was quiet but spoken with conviction. “I remember everything.”

Blinking away tears, I patted the bed for him to sit closer. I felt better having him near, not so far away even thought it hadn't been that long. I'd come to rely on him as a companion that I hadn't realized my dependence on him until he had been apart from me.

“Everything?”

I didn’t want to get my hopes up but I needed to try.

“She loved your laugh. Do you remember that? How much she would try to make you laugh because of the sound? I remember finding her, the weight of her when we took her away. You aren’t alone in your grief.”

He pressed my hand to his head, the synthetic skin warm to the touch. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I wasn’t alone anymore. Every memory she and I had made, he would know and understand it, confirm that she existed outside my mind despite what my father had tried to erase.

“It’s all there. Restored. Mr. Stark made sure of it.”

“Stark?”

He put his finger to his lips, giving me a look of warning as he nodded toward the closed door.

“He oversaw the repairs. The cradle restored my consciousness. Or, whatever I want it to be, I suppose. I’m not sure. I just know when I came to, every memory I had was there and my duty is still to protect you. It was a directive once, I’m sure. It’s now a want.”

Too much information, too fast to comprehend and I broke down, relief and fear still murky inside me as I held onto him, his hand cradling the back of my head like a father would.

Like one who loved me.

A piece of paper was slipped into my hand as he held me close.

“What is this?”

It was a symbol that matched my tattoo, upside down with three various characters following.

“It was in the pocket of my jacket. It wasn’t there prior to me going to the tower so I have to consider this message was placed there before I headed back to the estate. I believe that it’s meant for you.”

“Why me? Is it Stark?”

“The writing doesn’t appear to be his. I don’t believe this came from Stark. Most likely someone on the outside. Whatever it is, keep it safe. Research it when you’re alone.”

His arms left me slowly as he rose from the bed.

“Rest. I can only imagine how traumatic this day has been for you. If you need me, I will be in my room. May you only have sweet dreams. Goodnight.”

🕊

Keegan hovered by the entrance of the dining room while I poured over the note, my father’s whereabouts unknown. Which was fine with me, I enjoyed having a peaceful breakfast that did not involve his domineering ways that only seemed to have increased in the aftermath of the attack.

“General Barnes is here to see you,” Keegan announced, a frown marring his features. “Your father did not relay the message to me that you were having a visitor. He says that he is here on business. Would you like to speak with him?”

Keegan liked to be informed and I knew that this visit was unannounced by his irritated sigh.

“That’s fine, Keegan. I’ll be there in a moment. Thank you.”

“I’ll let him know.” With a rough tug on his jacket, he turned on his heels and stalked away.

I folded the note back into my pocket before I headed into the den.

Gone were the military fatigues, replaced with a sweater and tie and a pair of dark slacks as he propped his arm over the fireplace. Just like Steve, he was big, born to protect. He was silent for a moment as I hovered in the entryway, observing the photos of me through the years as a child and then to an adult.

“General Barnes? You asked to speak with me?”

He motioned to the chair and I sat down slowly as he followed suit.

“No need for alarm. I wanted to come by and check on you, see how you were doing. I imagine in the past days you most likely needed to decompress.”

“A little,” I admitted, unsure why he had come all this way just to check on me.

“That’s good,” he acknowledged with a smile. “I wanted to ask you some questions regarding the attack in the plaza.”

“Like what?”

“Well,” he began, his leg crossing over the other as he leaned forward. “We know that it was a coordinated attack. You were meant as a mark.”

“What do you mean?”

“Intel suggests that you were a targeted for abduction. I know you suffered the loss of your sister a few years ago. It appears that the organization she aligned herself with was behind this attack. It would make sense, considering that you’re…” he stared at my tattoo that peeked out from my sweater that I hastily covered.

“Why me?”

“They aren’t fans of your father. Or General Rogers for that matter. It would send a strong message, especially since you and Steve are together.”

“We aren’t,” I answered quickly, probably a little more forceful than I needed by his quick look of surprise.

“No? Does he know that?” Barnes asked me as he tilted his head to the side as he squinted at me.

He broke out in a small laugh, easing the tension from the room.

“Relax. Steve doesn’t know how to act around women, regardless of who they are. If you say you aren’t together, then you aren’t together.”

The smile he gave me was charming, I’d give him that.

“We’re confident the threat has concluded but I’d be aware of any outreach efforts that might come your way. Be it letter, pamphlet or phone call, whatever they decide to do. If you happen upon any of these, you’ll let me know, right?”

“Yes,” I confirmed, the piece of paper seemingly burning through my pocket at the thought.

“Good. Thank you for your time today.” He stuck out his hand and I went to shake it before he shook his head slowly, pulling away slowly. “I better not.”

He got up from his seat, walking toward the door, turning around for a moment as he paused, adjusting his tie momentarily as he spoke.

“I wouldn’t go spreading it around that you’re not together. Steve might get wind of it. He doesn’t enjoy competition.”

With a quick nod, he continued down the hall as I heard Keegan bid him goodbye and the door closed.

🕊

A crack of thunder woke me, my body jolting in response to the stimuli. The rain pattered against the windows, hard enough to sound like tapping while I stared up at the ceiling. It felt like a prison, even outside these four walls. I'd spent hours pouring over the note. The only clue I had was that it was from someone like me but otherwise, I was stuck searching, yielding no results that could help. I'd had a free day to myself, my father still away from the house and I'd fallen asleep in peace.

But I still wanted to run.

My feet touched the bare ground, the wind hollowing through the trees in the dark as I slipped on my robe and reached for the doorknob. Not a good night to run away due to the weather but it would be in my favor. The rain would wash away the scent. I needed to wake Mark, to tell him my plan so that we could execute it together. As I turned it, lightning flashed over the hallway through the windows, casting off an eerie shadow. Mark's room was dark, indicating he was hibernating. Looking down at the door to the right, it was dark, as if my father had never come home.

At the last step toward Mark's door, his scent lingered in the air. I froze, another clap of thunder above the roof before I saw him at the top of the stairs, lightning streaking the windows that cast a dark shadow on Steve's face. His black tie hung low over his white shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows as he flexed his jaw.

"Where are you going?" he asked, his voice low. It was a question that needed to be answered.

As I took one step backward, he took two forward.

"Where's my father?" At the moment, he was the lesser of two evils.

"On a business trip."

"He would have told me," I lied, my voice drowned out by another clap of thunder.

"Where were you going?" He was relentless, taking another step toward me as I turned to head back to my room.

"Back to bed. I don't need the help," I shot back, taking off into a run back to my room, my hand reaching back to slam the door with the intent of locking it when he burst through.

"I'll call for Mark," I warned, my heart slamming into my chest. My skin prickled at the sight of him, his frame blocking the only way out.

"He's down for the night. My orders."

"Get out," I commanded, my heart beating so fast that I wondered if it would explode. His eyes narrowed, the incoming sound of a roar stirred deep in his chest as a warning.

"I told you I wouldn't tolerate you talking to me that way," Steve snapped, forcing me onto the bed with a single shove. He held me face down against the mattress, my nose buried into the pillows as I struggled to breathe, gasping for breath as the robe was ripped, the sound grating in my ears as he leaned over me, the weight of him on top of me crushing my lungs into the bed.

"It was only a matter of time before you started to be rebellious." His voice razed into my brain.

His teeth grazed against the nape of my neck before he bit down, the nerves disarming as my body went limp. My sobs stuttered against the pillows, his hands on either side of me as I waited for the inevitable crush of teeth on skin. My breaths were short, every bit of air that came into my lungs I savored before he let go, his weight still on top of me.

"Centuries passed and your biology still allows that special little spot to render you helpless. You'll know your place. Even if I need to show you every single time. Do you understand?"

Through the sniffling and gasping for breath, I answered. But it was not the answer he wanted.

"Yes, who?"

"Yes, _Alpha_." It was barely above a whisper when the words left my body, defeat still bitter on my tongue.

I was flipped onto my back, his hand holding my jaw as he brushed his nose against my neck.

"I can still smell Bucky on you." My pulse points were invaded with his scent, my heart rate steadying as I took a shuddered breath. "He'll see who you belong to."

His lips brushed against my neck, the bundle of cells leftover after humankind veered right tingled in response as he draw the skin in through his lips. Warmth flooded my body, heat creeping between my thighs.

"Please." Lost in the dark, I wasn't sure if it was a warning or a plea. The hand I'd dove into his hair had been meant to grab a fistful to cause him pain, the same way he'd done to me. Instead, I found myself keeping him close, body responding to whatever he gave me. He surrounded me, his mouth moving down to my collarbone, nipping at the skin there before he went lower, drawing more skin into his mouth, sucking and licking until the pleasure warped into pain.

"Do you see how you respond to me?" he asked, a dark smile playing on his lips. "You can't help it."

Amid the spark of lightning, his hand traveled down to the juncture of my thighs, leaving another mark right below my breast. My throat was dry, my body humming in response to every single touch.

"It's almost time," he mused. "You're so close."

The ache of what he had done finally had registered in my brain, my eyes gazing down at the raised and bruised skin.

"They'll heal before the wedding," Steve promised, lifting himself off of the bed as he straightened his tie.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An outing yields another clue from the cry for help. Bucky silences an impassioned speech. A detour in the city brings out a hidden family secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dark. There's no smut but mentions of non-con and forced pregnancy. We're officially on the dark highway and the streetlights are flickering off ;)
> 
> Thank you all for reading thus far, I'm stretching my writing muscles with this one.

It was overcast when I finally woke, a crick in my neck that made me wince as I pulled myself up. The events of the night prior hit me like a punch in the gut. There was no sign of Steve when I got up, stopping in my tracks at the bruises that were marked over my skin once I passed a mirror. It was tender to touch, my fingers stopping briefly at each one while I remembered exactly how they had been placed. It was purposeful, meant to show ownership.

I could still smell his scent on me and I ripped the blankets and sheets from the bed, balling them up as I shoved them into the laundry basket, stripping off my robe and nightshirt. The dull ache from the bruises made me shudder. I’d reacted to his touch despite how I had felt. Ancient biology still allowing dominance to take precedence over common sense.

I felt no better after I had showered and dressed, irritation and fear taking hold as I went down the stairs, where Keegan gave me a short nod of his head, his eyes watching the entryway to the dining room.

“Your breakfast is waiting,” Keegan announced, leaning forward so that only I could hear him. “He’s in a jovial mood today. I’d tread carefully.”

I nodded as I passed him, my father looking up from his newspaper. He hated using technology, never bothering to use his various tablets that he’d been gifted throughout the years. He said nothing as I sat, drizzling honey into the tea that was still steaming up from the cup. He had the nerve to smile as his gaze stopped at the marks that I had tried to cover.

“A lesson learned,” he remarked with a nod. “Let me get a better look at you.”

I didn’t want to get up from my seat to have him gawk. I took a sip of tea, his smile fading as he placed his paper on the table.

“Don’t make me get up. I said come. Now.”

The cup rattled on the table as I shoved the chair back, walking toward him as his hand grabbed my wrist and he examined the marks on my neck.

“I can still scent him on you,” my father vowed with a laugh. “His influence is strong. Did you think you were going to just wash it away?”

He let me go, tossing my hand away before he picked up the paper once more.

“You get too bold,” his voice carried behind me as I went back to my seat. “You wouldn’t be trying to run away would you? You’d be caught on your scent alone. I loathe rebellions. You know that. They are costly.”

I finished the rest of my tea as Mark came in, sitting down at the table with a book. My father paid him no mind until he saw the title.

“Philosophy? When did you start to want to read?”

“I don’t know,” Mark answered, opening the book. “It’s fascinating to me.”

Mark’s eyes lifted to my face and neck, his expression hardening as he looked to my father.

“What happened?” he asked me. “I would have sensed that you were in danger.”

“You wouldn’t have,” my father interrupted. “The update to your hibernation prevents interruptions.”

Mark’s brow furrowed in response, the book placed on the table as he examined my bruises.

“Might I suggest an outing today. Clear your head and give you some well needed fresh air,” Mark offered, his attention solely on me. I hadn't even wanted to ask where my father had been. I needed to put space between us and it appeared Mark had thought the same thing.

“I’d love to.”

🕊

The earthy and sweet smell of the farmer’s market paired with the overcast weather fit my mood as we moved from stall to stall. Mark said nothing as I picked up an orange and squeezed it gently in my hand.

“Freshly grown from my own tree,” a sweet voice called out from a chair. A woman held a baby in her arms, her belly round with an incoming addition. The symbol that was tattooed on both her wrists made me realize that she’d tried to run not once, but twice. Her smile was sincere but there was a sadness in her eyes.

“They’re very big,” I responded, holding one up in my fingers so that she could see my tattoo. At the sight of it, she stood up, cradling her sleeping baby as she took a step forward. Her eyes were misty with unshed tears as she nodded.

“Ten dollars for a dozen,” she offered, looking down at her baby. “I know it’s steep but I promise that you won’t find better. I pick them myself. The orchard we… I… have is the only one I own and I do all the work myself.”

Maybe it was another casualty but I felt something standing next to her. Apprehension and fear.

“How old?” I asked, looking down at the baby.

“Almost a year. I’ve got two others and one on the way.”

“Congratulations.”

She looked up at Mark and then back to me, looking around before she continued, waiting until Mark continued around the stand as he selected another orange.

“Do you belong to him?”

I looked back at Mark and then to her. She didn’t realize that he wasn’t one of them. It was helpful in a way, having him be the way he was. Most thought that he was an Alpha. It was safer for me that way.

“He’s a friend,” I assured her, watching the stress leave her body as she let out a sigh.

“For a friend, five dollars for a dozen,” she said with a small smile.

The note in my purse still had not been deciphered and I pulled it out quickly, unsure of how I wanted to begin asking for her help. Or if she could be any help at all.

“Do you know these symbols?” I asked, her eyes peering at the note.

“Omega,” she recited, pointing to the symbol. “I don’t know about the second one. The third one has horns. Small but it’s there. There’s a shop that’s been closed down since the last war. It’s definitely from there but I can’t remember what it was called, only that it started with the letter L. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.”

“No,” I responded, stuffing the note back into my purse. “That’s helpful. Trust me. I’ve been pouring over books to try to figure it out. It doesn’t make much sense to me.”

“Where did you get it?”

“I found it,” Mark answered, looking down at the baby who stirred in her arms. “We believe it may be a cry for help from someone.”

“There’s talk of us being rounded up again,” she said quietly, holding her baby closer. “Birth rates are declining. We keep disappearing and I have to think that they’re already doing it.”

“Doing what?”

A heavy hand was placed on my shoulder and I jumped, turning to face Barnes, who gave us a wide smile. He was back in his military fatigues, his gloved hands on his hips as the metal of his arm shone through the leather.

“What are the odds of running into you? I figured Keegan would be the one doing the farmer’s market runs,” Barnes commented, his eyes focused on the woman across from me. “What are you all talking about?”

“Nothing,” she answered quickly, her eyes downcast. “They were asking about prices.”

“I’ll take four dozen,” I countered, her eyes widening as she started to collect oranges from the boxes.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive,” I confirmed, fishing out my wallet as I pushed the note to the bottom of my bag. I handed her the money and Barnes lifted his eyebrows in response.

“What are you going to do with all those?” Barnes asked in amusement before his smile faded. “I’m sure I interrupted something. It wasn’t all business before when I was watching you earlier. Don’t stop on my account.”

Mark stepped in, holding the heavy bag that the woman gave him as she took a step back.

“General Barnes, I assure you it’s been nothing but business.”

He narrowed his eyes at the woman, who cuddled her son closer. The fear was thick in the air and I swallowed hard at the taste it left in my mouth. Barnes kept his distance at the sound of Mark’s voice that was hardened in anger.

“We’re still looking for the ones who are responsible for the attack,” Barnes continued on. “I’d hate to think that you didn’t trust me and were trying to find out information on your own. Your little friend used to be a part of it, didn’t you?”

“Once,” the woman replied, her voice low and submissive.

“Ran away twice, bred by a dissenter in our ranks. I believe it was twins, wasn’t it?” Barnes asked, walking around the stall as he picked up an orange. “He didn’t last long. Dissenters get the death penalty these days. Peace and security are expensive.”

He circled Mark and myself, tossing the orange in the air as the woman began to cry, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“That’s enough,” I spoke up. “She’s been nothing but nice.”

“She has to be. A baby on the breast and one on the way. Just like nature intended. Your new husband wouldn’t appreciate if your little fruit stand was closed, would he? He’s a hard worker. Brick layer, I think, right? You’re barely making ends meet. I’m sure he wouldn’t want you to be sent away to a center if you didn’t behave.”

“Please, I didn’t say anything,” the woman whispered, trying to wipe her tears while lifting up her baby. “We need this stall to make money.”

“Then you keep your opinions to yourself. Understood?”

She nodded and I went to comfort her but Mark held out his arm. It wasn’t fair, the way he spoke to her, telling her business out in the open. It was meant to humiliate and belittle her. I saw the sadness return tenfold in her eyes at Barnes’ comments.

“You won’t touch her stall, will you?” I asked, waiting for him to answer as he placed the orange back down.

“If she can be respectful.”

“She will,” I promised quickly.

“You don’t even know her,” he pointed out with a laugh. “I suppose your kind sticks together after all.”

“So you won’t do it? She’ll be safe?”

“Is that what you want? To make sure she’s safe?” He turned around to face me, arms crossed over his chest. “Do you worry about your own safety?”

“I have Mark.”

He seemed to agree before he shook his head, eyes going back to my bruises.

“And will he protect you against Steve when he goes into his rut?”

Before I could answer, he walked away. I didn’t notice I was clinging to Mark’s arm until I saw the indents from my fingernails that were pressed into his skin.

🕊

“What was General Barnes talking about?” I asked, once we were back in the safety of the car.

“I don’t want to frighten you. You’ve been through enough already,” Mark countered, placing the heavy bag of oranges on the floor.

“Tell me,” I insisted, unsure of why I was nervous. I had a feeling the answer would give me no peace.

“After the war, once they decried peace and security, there was to be a big baby boom. People would have children without fear of them dying in wars. Your kind was placed on pedestals as the future of generations. Not everyone shared that ideal. Most didn’t.”

Mark was quiet before he gave a new direction to the driver.

“I’ll explain once we arrive. I don’t remember it but the street was there in my data bank. I think Stark put it there.”

As the streets I’d recognized morphed into darker, less dense sidewalks, I saw blank eyed Omegas, trudging down the sidewalks, unaware that we were driving past. Some with rounded bellies and others without, some waiting at bus stops and at a food pantry. I leaned over to get a better look, horrified at what I was seeing. The exact opposite of peace and security.

“Those that don’t willingly comply are bred against their will, forced pregnancies allow for generations to grow but the cost, as you can see, is great. A generational curse, if you will, to be bred into poverty and breed in it. Those who do comply, exalted and praised.”

The car slowed down as we stopped at a red light. A pregnant woman gripped her child’s hand as she herself was pulled through the crosswalk by a man that towered over her small frame.

“Does Stark know about this?”

“He does now. This wasn’t the work of Stark. He fought for security around this world. From outside forces. This edict came from within.”

The man grabbed the back of her neck as they reached the other street, the young girl looking down sadly as her mother cried out in fear.

“From who?”

“Your father.”

The breath that left my lungs was slow, a part of me caving into myself as we continued down the street. I turned in my seat to look at the family that we had left behind, still walking down the sidewalk.

This is what my sister had been fighting against and the very reason why she refused to let me come with her when she was trying to uplift voices for change. I wondered if she knew that our father was behind it, this horrible way of life that had been allowed to go on for decades.

The car came to an abrupt stop as a Humvee cut us off. Mark leaned forward, his eyes narrowing at the vehicle.

“Keep your seat belt on,” he directed, opening the door as he unbuckled his own.

The driver of the vehicle was none other than Barnes, who met Mark halfway. I couldn’t hear a word they were saying, both of them moving their hands wildly as they spoke. Barnes pointed in my direction, his expression once of determination and anger. Mark returned the favor with distrust and fury, his finger pointing at Barnes and then back our car before Barnes shook his head and left.

By the time Mark returned, he brushed back his hair, slamming the door closed as the Humvee continued on.

“What did he want?”

“It’s a restricted area,” Mark responded. “He said he’ll let us off with a warning. But I fear that he’s not being truthful. We need to return to your father’s estate.”

I had hopes that we could outrun him but it wasn’t safe. Soon. It was either run or kill him myself.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A late night search through the office leads to a revelation from the past. At the state dinner, another clue is revealed as Steve flexes his power with a single question.

Keegan greeted me at the door, worry etched across his face as he held open the door wider for us to pass through.

“Your father is at a meeting,” he announced, closing the door behind him. “Asserting his influence where he’s not needed, I’m sure, as his usual custom.”

Keegan glanced up at Mark, who was still holding the heavy bag of oranges.

“What is that?”

“This upcoming week’s orange juice,” Mark mused as Keegan took the heavy bag from him.

“Do you know when he’ll return?” I asked.

“Not a clue. He’s only been gone for about an hour before you came home. He was dressed up so I assume it will be a while but you know how he is.”

Mark followed me up the stairs, both of us stopping at the top of the stairs as he waited for me to return to my room.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you.” His voice was low, full of sorrow. “I would have been alerted to your distress had I not been in hibernation mode. It’s never been that deep before.”

“I’m okay,” I appeased, his facial features contorted into worry. “They’ll heal.”

“And your heart? Will that heal with what you know now?”

“He’s always been that way. Since we were young. Authoritative. I guess I just didn’t know the depths of it.”

It was silent for a moment, the ordeal of the day still heavy on my mind. There was much to consider, knowing that my father had been the architect of such a horrible way of life. I’d known he was a supporter of such draconian measures. As children we were seen and not heard, at our mother’s mercy when we went out of line until he stepped in. I’d learned as a child that I didn’t particularly want to draw his ire while she seemed to seek it out.

By the time I’d changed into my pajamas, buttoning the last button of the shirt, I paced around with the note in hand. I kept trying to remember where I’d seen the L with the horns before but nothing was jogging my memory. Mark hadn’t known and while I’d been given a hint, it still was frustrating to not understand.

At the close of the door down the hall, I knew my father was home and had retired to his room. It was only a matter of time before he went into a deep sleep and I was banking on him falling asleep quickly so that I could go downstairs and look in his office for anything that could help.

I’d laid in bed for two hours, still unable to shake the scenes from my mind that I’d seen earlier in the day. The Omega at the market was still in my thoughts, as well as Barnes’ interaction with her and I hoped that he had left her alone.

I rolled out of bed when I felt confident enough that he was asleep, opening the door and staring down the hall, the lack of lack under his door a hopeful confirmation that he was asleep. Steve’s presence at the top of the stairs had still not left my psyche and I turned to look there as well, only to find it empty.

The light in Mark’s room was still on as I passed his door, descending the stairs as quietly as I could. When I reached the ground floor, I made sure to check the top of the stairs once more before I opened the door of his office.

It had never been locked. What was there to fear when you were fear itself?

Once I pushed the door open, his scent of bergamot, petrichor and wood hit me as I closed it behind me. Pictures of my mother hung on the walls, smaller photos of me dotted the desk and coffee tables. In here, my sister never existed.

I sat on his leather chair, opening the drawer with his files as I rifled through them, trying to find anything I could while still trying to hear out for any sound. I found nothing, only copies of meeting notes and past laws, government packets that only yielded mild curiosity from me before I placed them back where I found them.

In the top drawer, there was a leather bound book that I flipped through, a letter with a wax seal falling out that I opened.

A letter from my father to a physician, stating that he while he was less than pleased to have two baby girls, he was elated at the news that they would share the exact characteristics that would make them valuable. To carry on our bloodline.

Another letter behind it spoke to our worth, our father’s willingness to find strong protectors to keep us safe as long as we birthed children. Our DNA was written for multiples, conception all but guaranteed.

To one Steven Grant Rogers and one James Buchanan Barnes.

I couldn’t explain when my heart dropped to my toes but reading the letter, seeing our names next to theirs made me nauseous. This had been planned since I was a child. Part of my father’s prophesy never coming to pass because of her death.

A light flooded the door below and I placed the letters back into the drawer and hid, the door opening as Keegan shined a light inside.

“No sign of her, Sir,” Keegan said with a deep inhale. “Perhaps she’s outside. Or in the kitchen.”

He was giving me time to escape.

The door was ajar when I reached it, my father outside with Keegan as Mark stood at the top of the stairs. Once I reached him, he placed his hands on my shoulders. I was nothing but a pawn.

“You found something,” he predicted, pulling me into a hug. “What happened?”

“Barnes… she was promised to Barnes.”

At the sound of my father’s footsteps, Mark pushed me toward my bedroom as I went inside.

“Where was she?” I heard my father demand.

“She was ill,” Mark began, his voice calm. “Still shaken up over the unfortunate interaction with General Barnes. In her state, especially with General Rogers influence, I believe it overwhelmed her. She needs her rest.”

My heart slammed into my chest as I heard my father growl a reply as Mark bid him goodnight. At the slam of the door, I dropped down onto my bed, trying to stop the anxiety that had taken hold.

After a slight knock, Mark opened the door, his frown confirming that my father was not happy.

“What did you find?”

“She was supposed to be like me,” I answered, the contents of the letter still fresh in my mind. “He wanted sons once. He settled with us because we were supposed to be the same designation.”

“Don’t dwell,” Mark suggested, looking toward the wall at the sound of my father’s heavy pacing. “If I had to guess, I imagine he was with the Generals tonight. I fear General Barnes may have given us away.”

“It doesn’t matter. He’s known since I was a child that he was going to give me away. I’ve had no say in my life since I was born.”

Mark was quiet, still standing in the entryway.

“It’s never too late to find your voice. Regardless of who you are.”

🕊

I’d managed avoiding my father for the rest of the week, finding any excuse to stay in bed as Mark kept a dutiful watch. As the days stretched on, my father continued to be away from the estate more and more until a rack of dresses showed up.

A state dinner in honor of Remembrance Day. To be trotted out like a prop and placed on a pedestal. I’d gotten plenty of practice in the past few weeks.

“This is the last of these events.” Mark tried to make me feel better as I unzipped more white dresses, each more intricate than the last. Any interest that had waned prior was completely gone now as I plucked a shimmery white gown off the rack and placed it onto the bed. It was not worth the struggle to pick anything less.

“For now,” I answered, looking out the window as a black pulled up. Hair and makeup would commence the moment they entered.

“Then we leave after this,” I blurted out, closing the drapes quickly. “The minute it’s over, I want to be gone.”

“It isn’t as simple as that. We must be strategic. An emotional response to this will only muddle things. You must understand that you still have a duty to fulfill. At least for the night.”

I heard the commotion downstairs as Mark nodded quickly at the sound.

“It will be over before you know it.”

As he disappeared out the door and the small team entered, I held back the urge to roll my eyes as they descended upon me. Poked, prodded, pulled and stretched until I looked presentable once more for the public. The bruises had faded and I was turned twice before I met expectations and was allowed to go downstairs.

My father was waiting, both he and Mark in tuxedos as my father reached for my hand, hauling me to his side.

“General Rogers is waiting,” he informed me. “Mark will accompany you but you are General Rogers’ guest. I expect you to act in accordance like you’ve been trained.”

It was a pity that I did not have a single sharp object on me as I gave a short nod, forcing myself to be docile.

“Yes, Alpha.”

“Father,” he corrected with a smirk. “Father will do just fine for the night.”

As Mark opened the door, Steve stood outside, dressed in his military uniform, his dark blond hair swept back as he kissed my hand. Like he hadn’t manhandled me days prior. The approving look he gave me confirmed that I’d picked the proper dress. They were both the same, ideals never changing.

“I trust tonight will go well.”

“Yes, Alpha.” I perfected the pitch that made him grin, a pleased expression upon his face as he ushered me down the steps and into the waiting car as Mark followed behind.

🕊

As expected, photos were taken, blinding me as Steve pulled me closer, just enough to give the hint that the narrative was still going strong. The red carpet was long, the only sound of voices amid the shutters of the camera.

No protestors.

It gave me chills not hearing their voices, even if it was faint. Mark followed behind us as Steve placed a kiss to my temple.

“Go inside,” he ordered, waiting for Mark to reach me to accompany me into the venue.

I had it down to a science, moving past the high fashion models and dignitaries as I waited near the ballroom doors as an orchestra played, the conductor lifting his wand with the music. I squinted, looking at his sleek black hair as he moved his head back and forth sharply as I took a step toward the door.

“It isn’t time yet,” Mark reminded me, trying to keep up as I kept walking. He looked familiar and I needed to see him for myself.

Green eyes glanced in my direction briefly as the orchestra continued their warm up, the small tattoo against his neck that I saw briefly before his hair tousled over it.

“Thais: Meditation,” Mark informed me. “A beautiful piece.”

Peeking out from his suited hand was a small tattoo, the same from the note that I had received. He’d been a master of mysticism, his shop renowned for his otherworldly finds. Closed down due to the constraints of the aftermath of the war. He’d been a classically trained musician and watching him now, his eyes closed as the wand floated through the air in his long fingers, I realized who he was.

“Loki Laufeyson,” I whispered, watching the wand fall slowly to his side as the music faded slowly.

At the sound of his name, he turned, his eyes looking at me suspiciously as he lifted his chin haughtily.

“We are not ready for guests,” he decried. “I appreciate your eagerness but we are still fine tuning.”

Mark took my arm and I pulled him forward. I needed to know.

Lives depended on it.

“Your tattoo,” I began, showing him my own. “You have another one.”

As he looked at me, his gaze settled on the ink on my wrist and then back at Mark.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Loki admonished. “It’s dangerous.”

“The symbol on your wrist is a match to the note I have. It’s a cry for help.”

Loki looked down at his wrist, a sad smile appearing on his lips.

“It is my only reminder of what I used to have. What I used to know,” he said bitterly. “What note?”

“A note that was placed inside my pocket,” Mark spoke up. “Do you know why they would use your symbol?”

“I helped some of them leave. I tried to follow but was not successful. Where were you when you found the note?”

“Stark Tower,” Mark answered.

Loki nodded, looking at the closed doors to the lobby.

“It may be someone in there or a wayward soul. I wish I could be more help to you but I haven’t practiced my craft in years. Perhaps it was someone I helped once. Maybe they came back to help. Maybe they were caught.”

Mark looked at me and back to Loki.

“You said it was dangerous for us to be here. Why?”

“I know who you are,” Loki replied quietly. “Who your father is… and who your sister was.”

I inched closer, Mark’s grasp on my arm still strong.

“You knew her? How?”

Loki looked back at the closed doors, the wand moving back and forth between his fingers with a single wave of his hand.

“I’ve said too much already. Your sister fought for us valiantly. Even when she wasn’t one of us. Your father -”

The doors opened and Loki’s eyes flickered back to the orchestra, effectively ignoring me.

“My father what?” I demanded, as Mark pulled me away. As strong as he was, I knew better than to fight as he led me back to the doors.

“No more talk of this,” Mark warned, watching people filter in. “We won’t get any more out of him.”

“We can’t just drop it,” I argued, tears forming in my eyes. I just wanted the truth.

Mark wiped a stray tear away quickly.

“Not here,” he replied quietly. “Remember who’s watching.”

Almost as if on cue, Steve stepped through the doors, taking my arm in his as we went to our table. From afar, I saw Barnes, standing off to the side as his officers stood with him. No doubt ready and on alert if something were to happen.

As the evening began to kick off, Steve introduced me to the table, wives like me without the branding, all submissive and happy, not saying a word to me. Only a polite smile before they went back to gazing in adoration at their spouses, thousands of years old biology on display with a single bite mark. Primal and efficient to ward away any challengers. Human on the outside, animalistic tendencies on the inside.

Mark was off at another table, delegated to keeping watch from afar as my father sat next to him, deep in conversation with another state official. It was a power move, the distance between us, meant to usher in the next protector. Even if I didn’t want him near.

Still, my biology reacted to his touch as his hand touched my thigh, my back tingling in response as I kept my eyes on the conductor.

“You look absolutely gorgeous tonight. Quiet and amenable. Your father will be so proud,” Steve whispered, his hand inching closer between my thighs under the tablecloth. “I know that rebellious streak is still there, isn’t it?”

I tried to ignore him as the Swan Lake Suite continued on, his grip on my thigh getting tighter as I held my breath.

“Barnes believes that you’ve been snooping around. I hope that isn’t the case. I’ve made it well known that I expect you to be on your best behavior. I don’t think you want a repeat of the other night, would you?”

I kept my mouth shut, the music slowing as he lifted himself from his chair as couples began to dance. He held out his hand and I took it, hoping it would not be another repeat of the last time I was in his arms on a dance floor. Loki paid us no attention as he continued on, the wand still in between his nimble fingers.

As we danced, I focused on his face and not his eyes that seemed to bore into me.

“They’re watching us,” he said in amusement, his arm around my waist as we spun through the crowd. “They’re waiting.”

I didn’t dare ask what, my eyes spotting Barnes as his hands were crossed over his chest, his metal fingers tapping against his upper arm as he stared at us. Knowing what I knew now, it made me miss her even more, Barnes notwithstanding. We could have been free from this, Steve pulling me closer as his cheek rested against mine.

“Tonight is very special,” he began, the music fading as he whispered in my ear. “You’re going to make me a very happy man.”

As he took a step back, the music continued softly, Steve let me go and got down on one knee, amid the surprised gasps around me. My heartbeat quickened as white noise rang in my ear, the music a distant sound as he opened a small black box, revealing a large solitaire engagement ring.

“Will you do the distinct honor of becoming my wife?” he asked.

This was my chance to run. To flee from this nightmare that was slowly beginning to unfold quicker each day.

In a voice that only I could hear, the command was one I was hardwired to obey.

“You will, Omega,” he demanded, through a charming smile.

With a hard swallow, I nodded, his hand taking mine as he slipped the ring on my finger. A perfect fit.

And a perfect restraint.

As he got to his feet, he held me close, kissing me hard before he growled in my ear.

“I want the words,” he ordered. “Say them so they can hear you.”

I closed my eyes to keep the tears from falling.

“Yes, Alpha,” I answered, amid the thunderous applause.

When I opened my eyes, Bucky’s stare caught mine as he clenched his jaw, his arms now fisted at his sides before he disappeared. My father led the applause, standing up as Mark followed suit.

A standing ovation to the end of my freedom as I knew it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The engagement puts Mark at odds with Steve over security concerns. Another clue in the cry for help uncovers the truth of what happened that fateful day. Bucky makes a bargain when Loki is arrested for treason.

News of the engagement was splashed upon the news, newspapers and social media created headlines that I could not escape from. Bundles of magazines, catalogues with dresses and designers’ hurried assistants trying to contact me. All paying lip service to the fact I was being forced against my will to marry a man I didn’t love.

Even with the wedding planning looming overhead, I knew I would have no say, let alone a choice in what I would wear. Perhaps if I was amicable enough, my father would relent. But I had no interest in appeasing him or Steve. There were bigger things to worry about. The stall I had visited weeks before, the lady with her child – everything was gone. Like they never existed. It made my search to piece together the rest of the note paramount to anything else.

Keegan had stopped dropping off the magazines at my door, knowing that I was never going to peruse through the pages, let alone have an interest in looking at the cover. Instead, he continued to be my informant, letting me know where my father was going and where he came from when he was able to find out the information.

He loathed when Steve would visit. Which was why it was no surprise to see the look of disgust on his face when he opened the door at my call.

“He’s requesting an audience with Mark.”

At that, I got to my feet, Keegan blocking the door with both arms as his suit jacket fanned out behind him.

“You can’t. Normally I would look the other way, you know that, but I don’t get the sense that this is a conversation that either of them would want you as an audience for.” Keegan smoothed down his vest. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t listen.

Keegan put his finger to his lips as he motioned for me to follow him. In a spare bedroom, he closed the door, opening the closet door where a wire was clasped near the frame. He took out his phone, connecting the wire as he looked my shocked face.

“Your mother had this installed,” Keegan stated, turning up the volume. “She didn’t always trust your father, you know.”

“She did this?”

My mother, the patron saint of my father, a spy? It didn’t make any sense. They were happy, she was devoted to him. In so many ways, more devoted to him than she was her own children.

“Your father has always been a wicked bastard. Toward the end, she knew.”

Both of us went silent as I heard Mark, the chair making a quick pull against the hardwood as he greeted Steve.

“General Rogers. What brings you here today?”

“We need to discuss her security,” came Steve’s reply.

Keegan and I shared a worried glance.

“What is there to discuss?”

“She is my fiancée. Within weeks, she will be my mate. There will no longer be need for you in our household. She will have a security team assigned to her around the clock.”

I covered my mouth as Keegan placed a finger over his lips.

“As an Omega, she is given a protector for life. That is law, General Rogers. One that her own father put in place.”

“I’m well versed in the ways of our laws, Mark. I don’t expect to understand. I expect you to comply.”

“And where will that leave her? More bruises on her skin? To be fearful of you? Will your security team look the other way when you dominate her in private?”

“They’ll do what I tell them to do.”

“That is my worry. I cannot leave her, nor do I want to. She has seen enough pain in her life. I cannot go against the commands you’ve made nor the contract that her own father has made. But I will protect her. With that law, I will comply.”

“Preparations for weddings, I’m told are anywhere from months to a year. What makes you so hurried, General Rogers?”

“The protests are ramping up again. I know you’ve seen it. Stark didn’t create that brain of yours to be obsolete. She’s not safe while she’s here.”

“Do you not believe that I would not protect my own daughter?” My father’s reply was hard, Keegan’s lips settling into a frown.

“You know as well as I do what could happen if she was alone. The attack proved that she is their target. Mark was injured in the scuffle, General Barnes had to step in and save them both. You may be her father and for that I respect it but you cannot protect her forever. When we are married, she will be in my care. My responsibility.”

“Do not forget that you left her at the scene of the attack, Rogers. Mark had saved her life. To imply that he would not do the duty that he was created for is beneath you. We will discuss this at a further date. I will not entertain any more comments on the matter. As of now, Mark will continue to be her protector and if you have any concerns, you will bring them to me. The transition of power has not been transferred to you yet. Be patient.”

It was quiet as I exhaled with a shudder. Keegan placed his arm around me, hugging me close.

“I will,” Steve replied quietly. “You are the elder Alpha, after all. I accept your decision.”

Judging by how controlled Steve’s voice was, I knew he didn’t accept it at all.

It terrified me.

🕊

I stared up at the boarded up shop, Mark behind me as he peered around the people that passed us. We’d walked to the outskirts, slipping into the roles we’d seen on this familiar street as I moved the hoodie over my head. The scent of fear and sadness was strong, even as the sidewalks were largely deserted.

Loki’s Imaginarium looked like it had one held promise. The burgeoning building nestled on a quiet street, with a now overgrown parking lot and faded spray painted cries for help on the walls. I’d remembered it once, I think. The master magician who could play tricks, either good or bad, depending on his mood, his love of music a close second as it used to filter through the air.

“What do you think we’ll find here?” Mark took a step closer, trying to peer inside between the slated wood.

“He said he helped people escape. I think it was here. She used to come here often.”

I walked around the side of the building, the weeds snagging on my stockings as Mark followed closely. At the back of the building, a door came into view, a heavy padlock that was rusted as Mark cradled it in his hand.

“We shouldn’t be here,” he warned with a sigh. “I don’t know if this will bring you clarity.’

“We can’t go inside anyway. Not with that lock.” It seemed hopeless now. I’d had an ounce of hope that the lock would have been broken and I didn’t want to risk trying to break a window.

“We can,” Mark assured me quietly.

He closed his eyes briefly as a small light emitted from his forehead, the lock disintegrating in his hands.

“What…” I took a step back, blinking to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.

“Don’t be afraid,” Mark urged me. “It’s new. I told you. Ever since Stark put me in the cradle… I’m learning new things every day. It’s alright. Trust me.”

He pushed open the door, giving me a signal to keep close as we were greeted with stale air and the scent of old books. I turned the flashlight on my phone, looking around the high rise aisles of books, items and instruments, dust collected in thick layers as we continued on.

“I imagine in it’s heyday that it was quite popular,” Mark said out loud, picking up a wand that sprayed out a stream of small bubbles. “Interesting.”

I continued down an aisle when I heard something underneath my feet. Mark was at my side within an instant, standing in front of me as the rustle from the other side of the aisle continued. I looked down at the wire I’d stepped on, eerie old-time music flooding the speakers.

“What happened?” Mark scanned the aisle between us carefully, listening carefully.

The music continued on as I looked around. It had to be a trick.

“We need to leave.”

“Wait.” I didn’t want to give up. My sister had loved this place. Spent hours here.

I held up my hand as I listened to the lyrics.

“It’s a code,” I guessed, walking down to the end of the aisle. “The world is gloomy.”

A small door caught my eye, one so small that I would have needed to crawl on my hands and knees to enter. A sign that simply read ‘bad’ with a circle and crossed out on the front.

“A bad sign.”

“I don’t follow.”

“The lyrics,” I answered, crouching down to try the knob.

“Wait,” Mark admonished behind me as I felt for a light switch.

When it flicked on, it was a secret room, Polaroid photos of smiling people, gearing up for a march. As I crawled closer to get a better look, Mark pulled me out by my waist.

“We have to go. Now!”

But I’d seen her, the same smiling face that was full of hope with her arms outstretched with a sign that she had just made, hand painted and demanding justice. Clad in her favorite t-shirt from her Alma mater, eyes bright with determination.

And the small Alpha tattoo that peeked out from her inner arm.

🕊

"Did you know?" I demanded as Mark ushered me down the street. "Did you know she was an Alpha?"

Mark huffed, my head down to keep up the pretense as we passed an Omega at a bus stop, eyes vacant as she rubbed her round belly.

"Yes."

I tried to pull away from him as rage filled me but it was useless. Mark's arm was around mine as we continued walking, trying to put distance between the empty parts of the city until we got into a safer place.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was put in charge of you both. I never lied to you. While my synapses were programmed to protect you, hers were inherently biological to do the same."

Two protectors. I doubled over with the shock, Mark stopping briefly to reach out to touch my back. I recoiled at his touch.

“It isn’t safe out here,” a voice called out from the shadow of an alleyway. “I warned you once already. But it appears you like the danger.”

Loki came into view, his trench coat wrapped around his lanky build, his black hair slicked back that gave him a regal air. He inhaled sharply as he gave me a sad glance.

“You found my clue after all. I can’t help you anymore than that and again, I repeat, bodyguard or not that you are in danger.”

“And you aren’t?” I challenged. Mark was silent, his arms crossed over his chest.

“What more can they do to me?” Loki mused. “I tried to flee once. Never again. A cushy job as a conductor, trotted out to the masses when they want music. No risk of heats due to my suppressants provided at no cost by the government. I’m resigned to my fate until I know of otherwise.”

“Why didn’t you make it out?”

Mark said my name quietly and I knew that it was a hint for us to go.

“Our lifeline was cut off that day when she died.”

Loki’s misted eyes met mine.

“She knew of ways out that we didn’t. Ways that only her kind could. She paid for it with her life.”

Before Mark could pull me away, a black vehicle rolled to a stop as I was pushed behind him.

Loki put up his hands before the door opened, General Barnes and two others getting out, guns raised as Barnes looked over at us.

“Loki Laufeyson,” Barnes said with a smirk. “I knew you’d get sentimental eventually. Your building isn’t going anywhere. Not yet at least.”

Loki said nothing, his eyes closed shut as he continued to hold up his hands.

“Kneel,” Barnes ordered. Loki lowered to the ground, the guards with him rushing to place cuffs on his hands.

“Mr. Laufeyson, I regret to inform you that you are being arrested for treason. Did you think those hidden notes in your music would have gotten far?”

Mark held fast as I tried to move closer. Treason meant death.

“Wait,” I called out behind Mark, the guards pulling him away as Barnes held up his metal hand.

“Do you think you can order me around as you do your Mark 45? Or should I say, Mark 50? I see he’s upgraded.”

Loki sat in between the two guards, Mark in front of me as I leaned my forehead against his back. I needed to try. I couldn’t let him die.

“You said the woman at the farmer marker’s wouldn’t be harmed. Where is she?”

Barnes let out a low laugh at my question.

“Safe and sound at home. Where she belongs. Her husband, the stalwart brick layer, came into some injuries and she needed to take care of him. I assure you I didn’t do anything with her little fruit stand. You’re very distrusting for an Omega.”

The guards pulled Loki up to drag him into the car.

“Will you kill him? He doesn’t get a trial?”

“Not for treason,” Barnes snapped, glaring at Loki for a moment. “But I suppose I could be persuaded to make a bargain.”

“No,” Mark denied loudly, spinning me around so that I was caged in his arms. “We’re going home. Now.”

Barnes let out a low whistle.

“You didn’t even hear my offer.”

“We don’t need to,” Mark countered. “Do what you will with Mr. Laufeyson.”

The sound of a crack hit Mark squarely between the shoulders as he had his back turned to Barnes as he fell. Whatever hit him, he was rendered unconscious, deaf to my screams as I tried to wake him.

“He’s out cold until I say so,” Barnes hinted. “A few of the Mark 50s that Stark has been reprogramming have been getting out of hand. We’re looking into it but for now, we’ve accessed a kill switch.”

“Mark,” I begged, wiping my tears as I tried to shake him awake again. “Please, wake up.”

“Are you ready for my offer?”

“Wake him up,” I demanded, getting to my feet as Barnes grabbed me and pulled me against him.

“You for Loki. I let him go and you and I can have a nice little chat.”

I looked back at Mark and shook my head. It wasn’t safe. Not without Mark.

“No.”

“Fine. We aren’t waiting to process him. Take him into the alleyway. We’ll get it done there.”

“No!” I screamed, watching Loki’s horrified face.

“Then you accept my offer? I’ll even wake Mark when we’re finished with our little chat. I’ll even do you one better. I’ll pinkie promise. Those used to hold weight, didn’t they?”

Bucky held up his hand, his pinky finger outstretched.

“Do we have a deal?”

His scent was strong and it made me dizzy. I looked back at Mark once more before I followed suit, our fingers intertwining.

🕊

“Mark,” I pleaded against the window as we drove away from Loki kneeling to prop Mark up. “Wake him up.”

“Not until we’ve finished our talk.”

I squirmed on his lap, not being allowed to have a seat to myself as the partition was closed. His scent invaded my senses and my heart rate rose, slamming into my chest as he leaned forward and locked the doors.

He lifted up my left hand, examining the engagement ring.

“He spared no expense, I see,” he remarked with a nod. “I’m sure your wedding ring will be at least double the size.”

I pulled my hand away and he laughed.

“Did I offend you?”

“I’m not marrying him,” I denied in a whisper. “No matter what you think.”

“You will,” Barnes insisted. “Steve always gets what he wants. You’ll be his mate. But you’ll carry my children.”

His hand slid over my belly possessively as his lips brushed against the shell of my ear.

“I know you found it. You can’t hide from me anymore than you can hide from Steve. You know the truth now, don’t you?”

“No,” I lied, trying to get out of his grasp as his mouth reached my mating gland.

“You’re a bad little liar,” Barnes scolded me, the tip of his tongue hot against my skin. “You thought she was supposed to be mine, didn’t you? Steve couldn’t handle the disappointment of another Alpha. While I was away, he made good on his promise to take what he wanted.”

“Why don’t you fight him for it?” I asked, trying to steady my breathing as his teeth grazed against me. “Fight to the death.”

“Chain of command. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be swollen with my babies while you carry his name. I’ll enjoy watching him process that. It’s one thing to be married. It’s another to see your mate give birth to someone else’s children. And just think how he’ll react to my scent on you?”

I did not have time to answer coherently, a gasp stumbling from my throat as he draw the skin up to his lips, sparks of pleasure snaking down my lower back and to my core.

“Do you know why he’s rushing your wedding?” Barnes hand slid between my thighs as he continued his slow assault on my neck, pausing to give his prediction. “He’s been tracking your heats.”

Warmth had flooded between my legs, a humming somewhere inside my brain that ignored all common sense, a throwback to my ancestors who relied on their primal instincts so heavily that I didn’t remember hearing when my stockings were ripped at the seam.

“He… can’t,” I breathed, trying to get Bucky’s scent out of my head.

His middle finger traced a line from my panty covered slit, applying pressure to the bundle of nerves that made my thighs shake and start to close.

“You keep them open,” Barnes ordered against my ear. “We’re not done talking.”

His finger rubbed deep circles as I bit down on my lip. Every movement felt like slow motion as I tried to struggle, only making it worse as the pleasure of his hand intensified.

“I could bite down,” he said darkly, his mouth warm and wet at my neck. “Claim you here and now.”

I involuntarily rocked against his hips as he drew the slick laden panties to the side.

“Please…I can’t…” I whispered, my eyes closed shut. My body was betraying me once more, inhaling his scent like a drug as his fingers glided down my folds. I distinctly felt him underneath me, hard as a rock as he placed my hand over his.

“Take me inside,” he ordered. “Use my fingers.”

I guided his hand as his lips brushed against my cheek, washing me in his pheromones. I pressed his thumb, ring and pinky finger down as the two that were left prodded at my slick entrance. Something stirred inside me. A deep ache that came in twinges as he waited.

“Guide them in.”

I bit down on my lip as I held his wrist, pushing his fingers inside me before I sucked in a breath, walls stretching to accommodate his fingers. My legs wobbled above him, the sensation of him inside me making my teeth clench.

“So tight,” Barnes said in a growl, his fingers curling inside me amid a whine that I was surprised that came from my mouth. “I’ll ruin you before he gets a chance.”

I kept my hand over his wrist as his fingers moved in and out in a slow rhythm as my head went slack against him, mouth parted open as I tried to breathe and fight against what I was feeling and what I knew was going to be trouble. But it felt good and I didn’t want it to stop, my chest rising and falling as he continued to scent me.

“This is your purpose, isn’t it?” he asked me in my haze.

I swallowed down my words as he upped the rhythm of his fingers, slick painted on my inner thighs as I squeaked in response.

“My scent is all over you and you’re full of my fingers. The future Mrs. Steven Grant Rogers coming apart on my lap. What a fucking sight.”

When I shattered, the world came apart, tears slipping down my cheeks as his fingers stilled inside me. I let out a sob once I’d realized what I’d done, covering my mouth as his fingers slipped from me slowly.

“A promise is a promise,” Barnes reminded me as we slowed to a stop, the partition opening as Mark stood in front of the vehicle, his expression furious as he opened the door. Barnes waved the device in front of him as a warning.

“I almost pity you. By the time you get back home, Steve will most likely be waiting for you. He'll be in for a surprise, won' t he?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve finds out about Bucky. The aftermath leads to a family secret that is blown out into the open. Mark tests his strength.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just an FYI - tags have been updated so please check them out before you read. Thank you 😎.

"Shh. Say it with me. Together."

Mark's hands cupped my hands as I felt my throat closing once more and I gasped for a breath.

"Together. Two," Mark tried again.

My tongue slid forward at roof of my mouth. I was on pins and needles.

"T-two."

He nodded, wiping the tears that were streaming down my face.

"Good. One more big inhale."

Air expanded into my lungs and I held it, waiting for Mark to tell me when i could exhale. Bucky's scent was still all over me, suffocating me as my stomach roiled. We were back in our car, on the highway and heading back home. Away from everything that had just transpired. I looked down at my ripped stockings, evidence that I needed to get rid of as soon as I got home.

"One," Mark urged, waiting for me to reply.

"One," I managed with a shaky breath as my chest halted twice from the hard breaths.

"Where are we?"

"The car." I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to control the rapid fire of thoughts that came into my head. "But he -"

"No," Mark denied, pulling me closer to him. "Don't think about it. Rest."

🕊

The car came to a stop an hour later, the familiar sinking feeling of dread leaking into my belly. The reminder of what Steve could do - and had done - was still fresh in my mind. It had taken days for the bruises to heal, his scent to be washed off completely. I saw no sign of Steve's car, nor the usual black cars that followed him. As much as I had hoped that I would be alone, something told me that he was there, even if I couldn't see him.

"Stay behind me when we go inside," Mark instructed, helping me out of the car as my skirt fell back across my knees, covering the rips in the stockings. My mating gland was still throbbing but not as intense as it was earlier and I pulled my jacket over and up to my chin to cover it.

Keegan stood at the door, opening it with a knowing gaze and a slow nod toward the den.

"Mark," I whispered, his hands going behind mine to hold it tightly.

"You have to trust me."

We ventured past the foyer, barely walking past the den when Steve's head lifted. Mark pulled me in front of him as I heard Steve's inhale, his head whipping back toward us, his blue eyes dark as he got to his feet. Mark pushed me up toward the stairs, his hand at the small of my back as he propelled me forward as I heard my name being called.

“Don’t stop. You go straight to your room. Lock the door.”

I closed the door the moment I entered, locking it as I heard heavy footsteps following behind.

“General Rogers,” Mark admonished behind the door. “She needs her rest.”

“Bring her out here. Now.”

“General Rogers, I do apologize but Alpha commands do not work on me. If you have a message to relay, I assure you that she can hear it. But she will not come out.”

“I can smell him on her,” Steve growled through the door, the door shaking with the force of his hand that slammed against it. “You have to come out sometime. Mark can't be here forever. And when you do, you’re going to answer why his scent is all over you.”

It was quiet for a moment as I looked over my shoulder, still surprised that the door had not broken down as my heart raced out of control. I wiped away more tears, Bucky’s scent hitting me with every movement.

“I’m not waiting weeks for the wedding. You want to mess with my future? We'll make it days. Not weeks.”

I covered my mouth to keep from screaming, Mark’s voice low and controlled as he replied.

“We shall see. I’m sure her father would need to be notified of the change. He’s already sent out the invitations.”

Then it was quiet, heavy steps fading. There was nowhere I could run. If I went outside, I risked Barnes finding me again as well as Steve. The small knock made me freeze, wiping away the tears as I waited to hear who was on the other side.

“It’s alright, it’s me.”

The minute I unlocked the door, I pulled him inside, locking it back quickly as I paced.

“Days? He can’t do that, can he?” I asked through a sob. Even as I asked the question, I already knew the answer.

“I’m sure he can. Your father may not like that General Rogers wants to get rid of me but there is where they differ only.”

“How did he even know I was coming home?”

“It appears he had an appointment with your father. Keegan said your father has been acting out of character for the past few days and it appears that he forgot to cancel.”

I slumped down on the bed, frustrated and terrified. No amount of cleansing breaths would push away all the thoughts I had. I needed to flee, run far away and never come back.

Mark felt my forehead as he frowned.

“Your temperature is quite high. Your basal rate flared while we were in the car. It appears Barnes may have had an influence on you. It’s strong.”

I shook my head. It didn’t matter. I needed to leave.

“Then we have to go,” I decided, looking out the window as my father’s car pulled up. “I’m running out of time.”

“We must be strategic.”

“He’s going to say yes. I know it. He’ll make me do it in that horrible voice.” I trembled, wrapping my arms around myself as Mark stood up, looking over at the window.

“I’ll be there to protect you.”

“Days, Mark. Days and then they’ll try to get rid of you too.”

“It won’t happen,” he replied, his hands settling on my shoulders. “I promise.”

🕊

It was dark inside the house when I had reached the bottom step, standing still as I knew he was close. The smell of oak, charcoal and pine hit my nose as I turned my head to see him in the den, wisps of smoke from his cigar visible as he placed it on the tray.

"Do you think it's wise for you to be down here?" my father asked, his voice cool.

I knew better.

"I needed some water."

He rose from his chair, putting out the cigar on the tray as it crackled softly and wilted.

"Why didn't you say so?" he asked, walking past me as he went toward the kitchen. "I'll get you a glass of water. Like when you were younger."

I followed behind him, his house shoes hitting the ground softly as I looked up at him. He'd always been tall. Imposing in a way that had made me afraid since I was child, craning my neck to look at him as I hid behind my mother. It was the protectiveness, I'd reasoned. No time to be soft with his children when threats loomed outside the walls.

The very same ones that he'd invited into my life.

He motioned to the bar stool and I climbed up as he pulled out a fresh bottle of water, busying himself with pulling out two glasses while I waited for him to bring up the fact I had ignored Steve. He flexed his shoulders, the glasses clinking as he poured the water.

"You're stressed. I can smell it."

The glass was placed within my reach.

"I thought you said you needed water," he continued, taking a long sip from his own glass. "Drink it."

I reached for the glass, bringing it toward me as he emptied the last of his.

"I'm not thirsty anymore," I lied, keeping it between my fingers.

"It'll calm your nerves. So distrustful these days." He leaned forward, his forearms on the counter while he stared at me. "You've always been my golden child. Even as an adult."

"So you remember her?" I asked, trying to match his stare. "I thought you'd forgotten."

His eyes narrowed at me. He lifted my glass to his lips, taking a small sip before he placed it back down.

"I said drink your water."

It was meant to show it was safe and I reached for it, taking two gulps of it before I was satiated. It didn't taste any different.

"See? You're meant to obey. This rebellion of yours, it isn't becoming in the slightest. I know you ran away from Steve."

My foot slid down to the ground, pushing back the chair before his hand slammed on the counter.

"You don't leave that chair until I say so."

"You would let him mark me again?" It wasn't so much a question as it was an accusation, his features knitted in annoyance. Warmth prickled at my cheeks.

"Establishing an order. Don't be so dramatic. It could have been so much worse. He knows his limits. He's more controlled than I could ever be."

"Did you do that to Mom?"

He let out a dark laugh.

"Only when she decided to get out of line. Otherwise, you two were easy to manage."

"Three," I corrected, my eyes focusing and refocusing. "You had two daughters."

"You want to go down that line?" my father growled, pushing the glass toward me as I pushed it back. "Relentless."

"She existed. You know she did!" I didn't care if I woke up Keegan or Mark. The truth needed to come out and I needed to hear it from his own mouth. He sneered at me for a moment, shaking his head.

"She presented as an Alpha when you were in the eighth grade. Hormones being what they were, you were attacked by a small group of Alphas and she went berserk, trying to save you. A noble effort." His eyes centered on me as he shrugged. "Biology being what it is, had she been my son instead, we would have understood each other and established a natural order. But an Alpha daughter, that would never do. The moment she embraced who she was, she began to challenge me. She was going to be cast out when you both turned eighteen. Perhaps earlier, had your mother not pleaded her case."

"She was your daughter," I hissed through my tears. "Your own flesh and blood."

"What space would there be for two Alphas in one household, let alone a male and a female? You know it to be true. Our ancestral DNA still holds the same. I will not be challenged in my own household."

"She could have had a life."

"And what a life she would have had," your father snapped, a growl stirring in his chest at your plea. "Instead, she went around protesting the treatment of simpering Omegas who refused to abide by our laws, aligning herself against our government that would have kept her safe. She needed to fall in line but she wouldn't. There was a place for her outside of this estate. A career she would have been proud of. She refused."

"And that's why you hid it from Steve, didn't you?"

The roar that ripped from his mouth frightened me.

"I did what I had to do. Your children will be strong. He wants sons," he said with a dark smile. "Your Omega DNA strings are wholly compatible for what he requires. Whatever bond you had with General Barnes, it will be over by the end of the week."

The drowsiness hit me and I pushed away from the chair again, steadying myself on the back of the chair.

"Why?"

He came around the island as I took a step back.

"Because we have always been on top. And neither your sister or your mother could stop it. Neither will you."

"I hate you," I swore, tears pricking at my eyes. Everything he'd said had ripped me to shreds. "I hate every inch of you."

His hand was raised to strike when a blast of light went past me, my father's hand dropping to his side as I turned around. Mark touched his forehead, wincing as my father struggled to move his arm. I made it to his side, my eyelids heavy with sleep. My body felt warm, a cramp rippling through my lower back.

"Mark," he growled. "I should have known Stark would have interfered. This doesn't concern you."

"You will not lay a hand on her. Not today, not ever. Do we understand ourselves, General? She is my ward until I am discharged otherwise."

I clung to the back of Mark's shirt as my father huffed, his arm finally mobile.

"You do your duty. Cherish it, Mark. She has three days left."

As my father left us, I looked up at the small yellow light emitting from his forehead.

"What happened?"

He shook his head, looking up the stairs at my father.

"I don't know. But we need to get you out of here. Preferably by tomorrow if possible."

He felt my forehead again, worry flashing across his face as he hugged me tight.

"They're forcing your heat."


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keegan explains the link to the Imaginarium and the family ties. Eavesdropping turns violent as Steve finally exacts his revenge.

The moment I pushed open the door, it was silent, almost as if the night prior had never happened. I’d overslept due to whatever my father had put in my glass, the last thought that I’d remembered was that they were trying to force my heat.

I’d done well on my suppressants and coupled with the birth control on a timely schedule, I’d had no side effects. But my medication had run out once I’d moved back home and I knew my father would not allow it. I hadn’t been worried until Steve had marked me, the biological urges rising to the surface that I hadn’t felt in years.

But besides a slight chill in the air, I felt fine.

By the time I made it down the stairs, Keegan placed a cup of tea in front of me, his eyes searching my face for a moment. He seemed to already know what I had gone through.

“How are you feeling?”

“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully, watching him motion to the chair in front of him.

“Mark’s gone out for a bit. Something with Stark, I don’t know. He wasn’t clear on the details but I told him you’re safe with me since I haven’t seen your father at all this morning. He didn’t answer when I knocked on his door. It was locked so I assume he had an early day.”

“Wedding preparations,” I guessed. “Three days away by his calculations. It doesn’t matter.”

“And the letters you found? I heard the commotion last night. You know the truth about your sister.”

“It appears everyone knew but me.” I blew on my tea to keep from raising my voice. “Family secrets stay buried until I get married off, I guess.”

“We didn’t all know,” Keegan countered, the clink of the spoon hitting the inside of the teacup gently. “Not until she left. Not until after… she passed. You would have been able to scent her when she changed, right? You never did. I never did.”

“She was on blockers?” I asked, unsure of what he was trying to say.

“As soon as she identified as an Alpha. Blockers, suppressants, various pheromone pills. Your father bought them all,” Keegan sniffed with a touch of anger. “Anything to have people believe she was an Omega. Her Alpha scent wasn’t there but her mannerisms were. He could never hide that.”

“And she died for it. So, it was all in vain.” The emotion broke through in my voice and I hung my head, wiping the tears that trickled down my cheeks. “And my mother? She did nothing when she could have.”

Keegan was quiet, placing his cup back down on the island counter as he looked down at his hands.

“You don’t remember it, but I do. She was afraid of him. Always had been. But she had courage.” Keegan paused, shaking his head sadly. “So much of your mother in you.”

I shook my head quickly. There were no instances of us being the same. She went along with whatever my father wanted. Hiding us from sight on his whims, looking the other way when he scared us with his tactics. Refusing to talk about my sister as if she never existed.

A mother in name only, as far as I was concerned.

“Still too blind to see it. She loved you. Both of you. You always hate it when I say it. It doesn’t make it any less true.”

“Keegan,” I began, the familiar twitches of anger firing across my mind. “She let her die. Let our father continue with this horrible lie. She could have stopped it.”

“How do you know she didn’t try?”

Keegan’s question hung in the air.

Our mother had always been so perfect, so poised. A textbook Omega wife, ready to obey.

“I’m her daughter. I know.”

“Mark told me you visited Loki’s Imaginarium. That’s how you found out she was an Alpha. What else do you think was right in front of your nose that your parents didn’t tell you? How do you think your sister knew about that place?” he asked.

I finished the last of my tea as Keegan pulled the cup from my fingers.

“You stood in the very place your mother helped build and you didn’t even bother to go inside,” Keegan snapped. “Your father’s influence clouds your intuition. She played the game and helped hundreds while doing it. Laufeyson will never tell you but he knows it to be true.”

“Then I need to go back,” I shot back. “There’s probably something still there.”

“You’d risk your life for it?”

The sound of a door slamming shut upstairs broke us out of our conversation. Keegan looked at me before he lifted his eyes above. Nothing ever scared him but I saw the flicker of something in his eyes that made his handshake as he placed the cup into the sink.

“He’s been home the entire time,” Keegan murmured, looking at the ceiling. “He’s missed his meetings. That’s not like him.”

Another slam of a door rattled me until we were met with silence.

Keegan followed me toward the office, a look of worry on his face as I peered inside. It was dark inside, untouched as I waited to hear any sound of my father coming down the stairs.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea. Wait until Mark returns,” Keegan insisted, his arm pulling against mine to guide me out of the entryway.

“I need to know if he has anything of hers in there. Both of them.”

“And if you find it? Then what?” Keegan inquired, his grip still tight on my arm.

“When I leave, I’ll have leverage, hopefully.”

Keegan raised an eyebrow as he let me go.

“You’d need Laufeyson to corroborate your story. Do you even know where he is?”

I didn’t. I’d hoped that he had been safe once Barnes had let him go. A shiver came over me, Keegan leaning in to inhale.

“I’d go change,” he urged. “Your scent is getting strong. Don’t want to upset him if he does come down here. I’ll come up in a bit to check on you. The office can wait. Trust me.”

I lifted the front of my shirt, my scent stronger than usual as I rushed up the stairs to change my clothes. It was eerily silent in the hallway. I could tell he was up here, his scent hanging in the air like a ghost.

Once I pulled on a new shirt and tried to mask it with some blocker mist, I opened the door to peer down the hall.

Still no sign of him.

Just silence.

I touched the banister, straining to hear Keegan’s heavy footsteps below. I was three steps down when my father closed the door to the spare bedroom, standing in the hallway. I could feel his stare on me and I looked back at him.

A father in name only.

“Good morning,” he greeted, his voice deceptively calm.

“Good morning,” I repeated. “I thought you were in your room.”

“I own this entire house. Should I be contained in only one area?”

I swallowed hard as I shook my head, his stare still intense, never blinking.

“Answer me,” he ordered. I bristled at his command as I squeezed my eyes shut.

“No, Father.” I hated it. The small voice I gave was shown to comply. To show submission.

He nodded briskly in my direction before I heard the door to his bedroom close.

I ran downstairs to find Keegan, who was washing up the last of the dishes as I tried to explain while trying to maintain the last shreds of my composure.

“I need ten minutes, max.”

Keegan scrubbed the plates harder, pretending to ignore me. I didn’t want to ask that of him. I knew it was dangerous to have him be the lookout but I’d seen the look on my father’s face and I was afraid. I’d search for what I needed and then when Mark came back, we’d leave. I’d formulate some type of plan to find Loki and get him to talk.

“Five minutes,” Keegan answered quietly. “No more than that. Too risky.”

We both looked above us at the ceiling. Still quiet, no movements.

“Five minutes,” Keegan reminded me, shutting off the water.

🕊

I rifled through the drawers, closing them when I couldn’t find anything of use as I went to the heavy cabinet, my fingers moving over the files when I came across my symbol and lifted a thick folder out.

A mug shot of my sister.

And of my mother.

Arrested for unlawful assembly and inciting a riot. The records had been buried from public sight, notes scrawled on sticky notes with dates and times. Whatever happened on this day, my father had made sure it never got out.

When I examined it again, the date of the arrest was the date of her death.

The sound of the doorbell made me scramble, closing back the door as I placed the file off to the side and under a thick newspaper.

It was silent again, no sound of Keegan.

Only heavy footsteps.

I crouched down between the chair and the desk, hoping Keegan would come to save me once more. I even hoped it was Keegan that was walking.

But there was no mistaking the sound of the walk.

After long minutes, it passed and I got up from my spot, craning my neck to hear anything. There still was nothing, just the sound of my breathing and heartbeat.

I heard the door open before I saw it, a solid body standing in the way of my exit.

Steve’s tongue rolled over his teeth as he raised an eyebrow. I was very aware of the expression he was making. It was the same one before he’d pinned me to the bed before.

“What are you doing in here?” his question was low but threatening.

“Where’s Keegan?” I asked, taking a step back as I tried to look for something to arm myself with.

“I asked you a question first, my bride to be.”

His scent made me dizzy.

“You still don’t get, do you?” Steve asked me with a slight shake of his head. “You aren’t going to leave. Even if you try, I’ll find you.”

“What did you do with Keegan?”

Steve stood at his full height, his teeth bared at me.

“I told you that’s not how it’s done,” Steve snapped.

I bumped into the wall as my father came into view behind him.

“You can’t,” I whispered, fighting back the tears. “Daddy. Please.”

“You thought I didn’t hear you? My golden child. I know you better than you know yourself.”

He gave me a wide smile as he closed the door, leaving Steve and me alone as I looked for a way out. Or at least somewhere he couldn’t hurt me.

“You’ve been busy. Trying to unearth things that need to stay buried.” He inhaled deeply as a smile spread across his face. “You smell so sweet.”

He leaned over the table, watching me try to find a way out.

“There’s no other way out. You’ll have to go through me.”

“I’m not yours,” I shot back, my back flat against the wall. “I know that.”

“You are now. Did you think I wanted to be saddled with another Alpha? Another letdown? Your father knew she wasn’t an Omega and tried to keep it from me but I knew. I could smell it on her even with the blockers. You should have belonged to me from the start. I took what was supposed to be mine. If I have to chase you around this office, you’ll regret it. Come here.”

Even with the command, I fought against it, standing still as he moved around the table, my feet finally moving to run around the other side.

“Do you think this is game?” he demanded, his hands landing on the table so loudly that it made me jump.

I ran toward the door as he caught me by the waist, tossing me back onto the sofa as I tried to move, his fingers gripping the back of my neck as I kicked my legs out from behind as he pressed me into the cushion.

“You want to play games?” he growled against my ear as I sobbed, still trying to push off the couch. “We can play them. You may have belonged to Bucky but I take priority. Everyone knows that except you. You know why? Because you refuse to understand your place. I thought I got that rebellious streak out of you but it appears I didn’t do my job.”

My scream of rage was muffled against the cushion as his teeth found the spot on the back of my neck that made me go slack against him.

“Do you know if I bit down here, right in this small little spot, you’d be unable to walk until it healed?” he informed me, his free hand spreading my legs roughly apart as I sniffled. “I should just bite down on that little gland of yours, make you realize who you belong to. But I’m traditional. I can wait. But I’m tired of waiting.”

At the first brush of his teeth on my skin, I tried to fight as the familiar pain and pleasure began to spread through my body, my skin feeling like it was on fire before I blacked out.

🕊

I woke up with a start, cramps making me curl into a ball as sweat soaked the pillowcase. Moving was a struggle as my core throbbing with want, aching with a need that made me bite down on my lip.

“Mark?” I called out, my voice wavering as I threw the covers back and attempted to stand.

There was no answer as I looked down at my pants, sticky with slick as I pulled them down and tossed them into the laundry while I ran into the bathroom to wipe it off. When I cleaned off, I pulled on a pair of leggings and tried to open the door, which was locked from the outside.

“Let me out!” I shouted, doubling over from another cramp. “Please!”

A loud bang at the door kept me quiet as I took a step back. I just needed to remain calm. Cramps were normal in heat, nothing special. I just needed to be still and not move. I sat back down on the bed, trying to call Mark as the phone went directly to voicemail. I called Keegan but received the same thing.

A key in the door caught my attention and I looked up to see a large man standing in the doorway who looked over his shoulder.

“By the sound of it, she’s in full-blown heat, General,” the guard at my door said to Steve, who appeared behind him. “Like you wanted.”

The guard stepped back to let him enter into my room, my hands propelling me backward to try to get away from him.

“You’re burning up,” Steve noted with a small chuckle as he felt my forehead. “The ceremony won’t take long. Then you’ll give me a son.”

I pulled away from his grasp, his arm snatching mine as he hauled me up against him.

“You don’t make the rules, remember? Poor little, Omega. Should I help you now?”

“No, no, don’t,” I protested, his mouth settling over my gland before he drew it against his lips. I mewled in response, clutching his shirt as I shuddered. It felt good, his mouth on my skin. I wanted more.

“I have half a mind to bend you over this table and make you beg for my knot. But I’m a patient man,” he growled against my ear as I sobbed. “I like the tears. It will do well for the cameras. But I’d save them. You’ll need them when we’re alone.”

He snapped his fingers as the door opened again and he looked back at me.

“I forgot to tell you. The wedding’s been moved to tomorrow. Maybe I’m not as patient as I used to be. Goodnight.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding begins. The interruption provides an opening for Bucky.

The veil hung over the closet door, fans blowing in every direction to keep the perspiration at bay that threatened to ruin the makeup that had been applied only half an hour prior. I'd been guarded since the night before, Mark still missing as unfamiliar men kept watch as I moved from my room to the waiting car and now to this bridal suite that I was now cornered in. Not having Mark around made me afraid that my father had something to do with his disappearance and I couldn't speak to Keegan, who had avoided eye contact as I was being led down the steps from the estate. I'd seen his black eye, knowing Steve was responsible.

It was inevitable now, watching myself in the wedding gown that had been chosen for me, the pristine white pumps tucked away in a box that was waiting for me to slip on when the time came. My thoughts went to my mother and my sister, who had both fought for a cause, only to have their lives lost in the battle. Only I was left, given zero choices but to fall in line and marry an Alpha just like my mother had. A tale as old as time, written in our biology that we could never fight.

A hard knock at the door made me sit up straight, watching the door from the mirror as it opened and Mark slid inside. The chair nearly toppled over as I ran toward him, his arms wrapping me into a fierce hug. I didn't care that I was crying or that my makeup was going to be ruined. He'd been gone so long, too long that I wasn't sure that I would see him again. Under these circumstances, this was probably the last time we would be together.

"You left me," I sobbed against his shirt, his hand rubbing my back gently. "Why did you go?"

"I had no choice. My memories were going to be wiped again. I had to stay away for your own good or else become a part of your father's plan. Stark looked after me," Mark informed me, lifting my chin up to look at him. "I did what I had to. The exits are cordoned off. Guards everywhere from what I can see. You have to be strong."

"I can't, Mark. I tried but I can't. I'm in heat and he's going to hurt me."

"Listen to me." Mark held my face in his hands, wiping away a tear that dripped down my cheek. "Your condition is less than ideal, I know that. But you have to be strong. We'll find a way out of here, even if it's after the ceremony."

"How?" I could see no other way out, besides potentially throwing myself out the window and I would never let my father or Steve have that satisfaction.

"Let me think of something. I have to check on Keegan. He's still not well. I fear he'll need Stark to intervene but I can't get him until your father comes up here to retrieve you."

"Get him to Stark? How bad is it?"

"Bad enough that he'll require medical attention. Your nuptials have brought out protestors. I'm sure there are a few that could get him to Stark safely. I just need a few moments."

He looked at his watch and then back to me. I nodded, letting him leave as I heard the music begin to play. It was getting closer. I hadn't seen Steve but every movement felt like agony and I wanted to curl into a ball and block out the world. Knowing what would be the consequence of that action made me walk over to the shoebox, opening it to find a piece of paper atop of the white heels, in black ink and block letters.

_Twenty-five minutes past the hour._

That was it. Nothing else, no instructions or anything identifying who sent it. The shoes had been delivered to the room before I had arrived, a rush from some fashion designer who had been tapped to provide the chance to show off their work. Everything had been picked out for me, down to the color of my garter. I folded the paper and placed it inside the shoebox, hiding it from view as the door opened once more and my father stood in the doorway, dressed in his military uniform, his medals that adorned the jacket polished and shiny.

"My golden child," he praised, walking around me as he nodded in approval. "Almost as beautiful as your mother was on her wedding day. Less rebellious, of course."

At the smell of an Alpha, his scent made me nauseous, my stomach turning as he narrowed his eyes at me. It was the biological response, my father's scent engrained to deter as I swallowed hard.

"You'll ruin your makeup," he admonished, pulling out a small handkerchief. "I can't have you walking down the aisle looking half dead. Here."

The minute it was in my hands, I placed the scent, lifting it to my nose as I inhaled. It was Steve's smell, pheromones drenching the fabric as I continued to inhale, cramps intensifying as I held back a sigh. I doubled over as another one ravaged down my back, my eyes filling with tears.

"You're supposed to rub it over your neck," my father ordered with an aggravated sigh. "Omegas in heat are never the smartest, are they? His scent will keep you calm. Hurry up."

The minute I let the material touch my skin, I started to calm, hating that it worked as my body relaxed. At the sight of my shoulders falling, he directed me to throw it away, pointing to the veil.

"You will not embarrass me, do you understand? You know your place. Head down, eyes forward as I taught you. You won't have me to protect you once you're married. Steve is much more traditional with his punishments."

I fought back angry tears as I nodded, waiting for him to correct me for not addressing him properly. I adjusted the veil, sheer enough so that I could see my own tear-stained eyes. He held out his arm as I slipped on the shoes, an unnamed woman placing an intricate bouquet in my hand.

🕊

My father gripped my arm as we walked down the aisle, amid the packed church and photographers that snapped their pictures, the shutters loud along with the whispers. Steve had never been a religious man and neither had my father. It seemed sacrilegious to even set foot inside, knowing what they'd done.

And what Steve was planning to do.

If my sister were here, she would have objected to this union, her voice loud and determined. She wouldn’t have been silenced by anyone.

I couldn't help but imagine that if she was still here that I would never be walking down the aisle, watching Steve's smirk as he adjusted his tie, his shoulders straightened as he stood tall. I glanced down at the watch on my father's arm, twenty-four past the hour while he pulled me along, his steps quickening. The guests looked on as my heart pounded as we continued, inching closer to Steve.

One more glance at my father's watch and I saw the time.

Twenty-five.

I twisted my arm away from my father, dropping the bouquet on the ground as I lifted up the dress, turning on my heels to run as I heard Steve shout my name. My father reeled back to try to grab my arm, narrowly missing me as I ran toward the doors of the church and pushed them open. There were more guards, more protestors than I had seen in my entire life as I heard my name being shouted before I disappeared into the crowd, people moving out of my way as I continued to run.

A black car cut me off as I reached the street, the door opening as I held my dress in my hands, shouting and the sound of fighting behind me as I peered down to look at the driver, out of breath as my heart beat in triple time.

“Get in!” Loki shouted, the sound of gunfire behind me as I got in, the car taking off while I scrambled to close the door.

When I looked behind me, it was a sea of protestors and guards, fighting amid pepper sprays and shields.

“We don’t have much time. General Rogers has already started to send out the guard,” Loki informed me as he turned the wheel roughly and I hit the side the door.

“That note was you?”

“Not me. A friend. That designer who made the shoes you’re wearing,” Loki replied, looking into the rearview mirror. “What did you find out? It had to be something good. The wedding was moved up by weeks. We had to scramble.”

I looked behind me at the empty street, Loki’s foot still pressed down on the accelerator as buildings seemed to blur past us.

“He knew my sister was an Alpha. He knew all along. He wanted to kick her out and my mother -”

“She fought against it. At home and in the streets. Started a resistance against your father. Started out small, originally to keep you both safe but when your sister presented as an Alpha, let alone one that was female, your father wanted to crush her and cast your sister out. He was going to send her away to another family. When your mother refused, he turned his attentions on you.” Loki’s eyes turned glassy as he gripped the wheel. “There is nothing stronger than a mother’s love. Even an Alpha’s influence can’t break it. And your father definitely tried.”

Loki looked back over in the rearview as he revved the engine. Sirens were in the distance but I couldn’t see anyone behind us.

“That didn’t take long. Hold on.”

He turned down a small alleyway, stopping in the middle as he nodded to an open door.

“Go inside, I’ll be right behind you,” he instructed, looking behind him one more time as I got out and headed toward the door.

It was dark, the only light from the open door giving me enough sight to see that it was a large hall. Men, women, and children huddled together as the door slammed shut, the scent of terrified Omegas making me tremble as they all stared.

“They’re next to leave,” Loki said behind me with a knowing nod at the people in front of me. “Once we find a suitable exit. You’re coming with us.”

I noticed a face, a woman who stood and made her way over to me, baby in her arms as she enveloped me into a hug. The woman from the farmer’s market, safe and most importantly, alive. Her children behind her looked on as she grabbed onto my hands when she let go.

“You’re safe,” she whispered against me as her baby gurgled happily below us. “I saw the news, it said you were married and you’re… you’re here.”

I didn’t understand what she meant, Loki’s hand on my shoulder as he gave me a sympathetic gaze. My veil had been lost somewhere between running from the church and into the car.

“You’re the last one left, the only remaining daughter. This your father’s legacy, condemning those who would not conform to his wishes. But this is also your mother and your sister’s legacy… to see them thrive. To see you make it out of here.”

“I can’t,” I whispered, fighting back the tears. “He’ll come. My father too and they won’t stop.”

Loki inhaled deeply as he shook his head, mouth moving to speak until he pursed his lips.

“You’ll die then. Maybe not in body but in mind. It's your heat making you say that. We’ve all been there. You escaped your own wedding, in the thick of it. You’re so much stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

The sound of sirens broke out over Loki’s speech, the group in front of me shying away and back into the shadows.

“Into the basement! Hurry!” a voice commanded above us as Loki grabbed my arm.

“You have to come with us. She wanted you to be safe. I promised her.”

He pulled me in another direction as the door opened, gunfire peppering the air amid screaming as people rushed down the steps.

“You just don’t know when to quit, do you?” a man in fatigues demanded, pointing his gun at Loki.

One of the guards. Clint Barton. I’d recognized him when I’d walked down the aisle with my father.

“He hasn’t done anything,” I answered, pushing myself in front of Loki.

“What are you doing?” Loki hissed, trying to push me behind him.

“You’re here for me, aren’t you?” I was getting dizzy again, the scent of another Alpha sending me into another heat cramp.

“Tasked to take you back home. Where you belong. But first, I take care of him,” Clint replied, motioning to Loki with his gun. “I’m not supposed to lay a hand on you. Move.”

“Let them go and I’ll move.” The moment Loki began to protest, Clint fired a shot, keeping us both silent.

“Fine. You’re in a lot of trouble and if I wasn’t a man of my word, I’d see what’s under that pretty little wedding dress. You smell good, girl. It isn’t right for you to be out and away from your future mate. From what I’ve heard, you’re in a world of trouble. Let’s go.”

I tried to give Loki some reassurance with a nod as he stood, watching me be pulled away. I could help them later but not now. Too much was at stake. Maybe I could give them enough time to get away until Mark and I could formulate a plan.

Once Clint pushed open the door, another arm took hold of me as I stared into General Barnes’ eyes.

“Barton,” he greeted tersely. I inhaled his scent as Barnes pulled me toward him. “I’ll take her back.”

“I’d be fine with that, General but Rogers made it seem like she needed to get back without delay.”

Barnes gave a tight smile as his eyes were trained on Clint’s arm that still held onto me. I gulped down more of Bucky’s scent, gritting my teeth as another cramp ravaged through me.

“Are you insinuating that I would prolong her journey back? General Rogers and I are old friends. Hands off her, Barton. I said I’ll take her back. Or do you need me to remind you of your ranking?”

Clint let go, his hands up in the air as he took a step back.

“No need, General. I know my place.”

Once Clint was out of earshot, Barnes leaned his head down as I lifted my chin, bumping into him as I was greeted with a fresh burst of pheromones. I couldn’t help but lean in closer before he pulled me into the waiting vehicle and slammed the door. Within moments, the car sped off down the street.

“I was right,” Barnes said in an almost pained whisper. “He forced your heat.”

My fingers twisted around the wedding gown as he got closer, his breathing just as hard as my own. I reached for the button to press for the window to lower but he grabbed my hand, bringing it up to his mouth as he kissed my wrist.

The sound that left my mouth shocked me, my body reacting as if I’d been shocked as my back arched.

“You feel it, don’t you?” His voice vibrated in my ear as he hauled me over his lap. “Do you know why he fucking scents you all the time?”

I shook my head, the knuckles of his metal hand brushing against the side of my breast as I shivered.

“Because you were meant for me. He can’t get my scent off of you no matter how hard he tries. That’s why he does it. He knows he’ll never be rid of it. That’s why you came apart so easily the last time you were in here. Omegas in heat can push us away but you never said no.” His teeth grazed against my gland as I bit down on my lip, squeezing my eyes shut as fresh slick materialized under my dress.

“We,” Barnes began, his mouth gliding over the sensitive flesh as I rocked against him. “Were meant to be. He may be your mate but I’m there, just the same.”

My fingers threaded through his thick hair as one of the straps on my dress fell down my shoulder. His mouth felt so good against my skin, down my neck and back up again, teasing my earlobe as his fingers rolled a peaked nipple between them.

“Does he make you feel like this?”

“No,” I managed to speak, my core throbbing with every single touch of his skin against mine.

“Good. God, I’d take you in the seat right now if I didn’t have to find Loki.”

Despite the haze of my heat, I struggled against him as he pulled me back against his chest.

“Shh, Omega. He’s safe for now. I made sure of it.”

The vehicle skidded to a halt as Bucky lifted the strap back over my shoulder, the door ripping open as Steve reached for me, despite the amount of kicking I had attempted that didn’t seem to faze him.

“Taking a detour?” Steve asked Barnes, his expression murderous as he pulled me out.

“Small one. Streets were packed,” Barnes replied in a bored tone. “Wasn’t expecting you to meet me here.”

“You had something of mine. I wanted her back.”

Steve’s fingers pressed hard into my upper arm and I yelped.

“No more surprises,” he snapped at me, pushing me toward the path of his palatial house. “Your father isn’t here to intervene.”

Steve leaned down just enough to scent me as he pulled me closer to him as he slammed the door.

“You don’t think I know? Soulmate or not, you’re mine,” Steve barked, shaking me hard enough that I cried out in pain. “It won’t matter soon enough.”

Once we were inside, Steve’s hand forced my chin up as I tried to scent him. My heat was excruciating now, my brain focused on one single thing.

“Did you miss me?” he asked sarcastically.

I whined in frustration as he held it tighter, closing in the distance. I just wanted to feel better. All he had to do was let me take in his pheromones and I’d have a clearer head. Barnes’ scent was still on me but was quickly being replaced.

“Answer me.”

“Yes, Alpha,” I replied meekly, his smile returning as he brought me closer. I inhaled deeply, slick trickling between my thighs. The based instinct coming to fruition in a way that I hated but couldn’t fight back.

“Good girl. I’m sure our scents coupled with your heat has been torture, hasn’t it, my little bride?”

He pulled me up the stairs and into his bedroom. Everything surrounding me smelled like him and my mouth watered. The wedding ring was pushed onto my finger as he sat down on the bed, his arm anchoring me down on top of him.

“Mrs. Steven Rogers has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?” he asked darkly, lifting my hand to observe the ring that was shining in the light. “Your father has a way with the media. It’s impressive.”

He grabbed a fistful of my hair as I cried out in pain.

“Overcome with gratitude that you had to collect yourself before you came back to me. That’s what the papers are going to say,” Steve informed me, his teeth grazing against my gland as I mewled. It shouldn’t have felt good, but it did. “You tried to run away and you failed.”

Slick dripped down my thighs and he growled in response.

“Running away in thick of your heat. I know you can’t think when you’re like this but that was a dumb move, even for you. And those actions have consequences.”The sharp prick of his teeth into my skin made me scream, his hand clamping over my mouth as he bit down. Blood seeped down my shoulder, the pain dissolving into numbness as I went slack against him, lungs parched for air.

His influence was stronger than I thought. My head rested on his neck as I tried to breathe, his authority seeping into my brain and heart.

His hand caressed my cheek gently.

“Better. Nice and quiet.”

Steve pressed a kiss to my temple as he placed me onto the bed, my limbs heavy and slick continuing to flow underneath the dress.

“I think I’ll let you simmer for a little. The bond has already been established. When I come back, you’re going to need me more than you already do now.”


	11. Chapter 11

“Leave the door locked. No matter how much she begs or screams, it stays locked until I say so. Understand?” I heard Steve say to the guard at the door.

“Yes, Sir,” came the reply.

Steve had been smart. Betas wouldn't want to tear the door down. I stifled a cry as I curled back into a ball, trying to steady my breathing while his influence continued to spread. He was waiting for me to break down, I could feel it. To bang on the door, cry out his name and beg for him to come back, to knot me like my biology was begging for.

Heat filled my face and I dragged my hand up to try to feel for the zipper to remove the dress. It didn't matter. It never had. My skin was itchy and hot, begging to be freed from the material. Once I found the zipper, I yanked it down, pulling it down until it fell onto the floor. My thighs were covered in slick, the slip sticking to my skin as I peeled it off, letting out a cry as another cramp ripped through my belly.

There was nothing I could do. No amount of my fingers would give me relief. I'd known that since I had my first heat, locked away by my mother on my father's order to let it pass. The pain had gotten to be so bad that I had passed out, still in a fog when my mother had slipped me a sedative to keep me asleep until it subsided.

I wanted to scream, my fists under my face as I hyperventilated at the pain, trying to take cleansing breaths while the Beta guarding the door hit the door loudly.

"Nothing worse than an Omega in heat," he bellowed. "He won't be gone long."

I clutched my stomach, rolling into a ball once more when I heard the sound of gunshots peppering the air. Loud, as if they were steps away from the door.

The guard at the door slipped away, the loud shouting echoing in my ears. It isn't safe and I know I should leave but every single inch of me feels like it's on fire and the pain is too great. I'd run the risk of being sought out by an Alpha if I was even fortunate to leave the room.

"General Barnes?! Tell your men to stand down!" a guard shouted somewhere close by.

The silence thereafter was the answer.

I scrambled back against the headboard when the door was broken open, Barnes' scent making me turn toward him. He lifted his head, the door closing behind him.

"Omega," he growled, heading straight for the bed as I tried to move away from him. Steve would know and I wouldn't stand a chance. I couldn't deny how good he smelled and how my body was reacting to him. I shivered as his metal hand wrapped around my ankle, yanking me toward him as I yelped in surprise and fear.

His hands were on either side of me, his mouth hovering over my own once he finished scenting me.

"Freshly mated," he snapped, his eyes on the bite. "He wasted no time."

Tears streamed down my face as he leaned down to kiss me, the low whine in my throat bringing his metal hand to grip my neck gently as his teeth grazed my ear. Steve's influence flooded me and I tried to push him away.

"You can't deny it any more than I can," Barnes ground out against the shell of my ear. "We belong together. Always have been."

"Steve," I whined, my eyes closing at the thought.

"You think I give a shit about Steve? He stole you away from me, mated you against your will. You're fighting against your biology due to his influence."

"I can't," I breathed, still trying to take in every bit of his scent as his hands traveled down my body slowly. "He'll know."

He flipped me over onto my stomach, my head sinking into the pillow before he pulled me toward him, the clink and rustling of his pants before he pulled me against him as I rocked onto my knees. His breath was short as his fingers pressed against the inside of my thighs.

"He'll know I'm here," Barnes whispered against the middle of my back. "What I'm going to do."

"Please," I found myself murmuring against the pillow, slick dripping down my thighs. "Please, please."

"We," Barnes panted as I felt his cock at my entrance, my hips instinctively pushing back against him as I keened. "Are meant to be, aren't we, Omega?"

As he pushed into me slowly, I gritted my teeth as the ache started to dissipate, my mouth slightly parted as he bottomed out inside me. It felt so good that I closed my eyes, trying to will my body to stay still.

"That mark on your wrist," Barnes groaned as he finally moved. "You ran away at eighteen. Your father brought you back. Sedated you so you couldn't find what you were looking for."

Every single movement of him inside me felt like heaven, Steve's influence beginning to flood my mind as I wept. The metal hand massaged my scalp before he pulled on the roots, bending me toward him.

"You were looking for me," he affirmed with a low growl.

🕊

He could feel her, his head filled with the image of her clutching the sheets, body painted with sweat and slick under Barnes, the glint of his metal arm around her middle.

"Back to the compound," Steve shouted in a fury. "Now!"

The SUV came to a screeching halt as Steve was rocked forward, his eyes looking at Mark, who stood in their path.

"We aren't stopping," Steve commanded. "Run him over if you need."

"I'm trying to," his driver shot back, the wheels spinning as Steve opened the door with a heavy hand.

Mark's gaze narrowed to Steve, his stance one that was ready to battle.

"General Rogers," Mark acknowledged with a nod. "I'm afraid you will not make it back to the compound today."

"The hell I won't. You did this," Steve accused, pointing a finger at Mark. "Steal her away, give to her to Barnes. It won't work, Mark. She's already mated. Even if Bucky is successful in catching her with pups, they won't be in there for long."

"I'm not surprised, General. You always did love having blood on your hands. It was always meant to be this way. She was always meant to be with him."

"I'm warning you. Get out of my way or I'll kill you."

Mark allowed a slow smile as the driver got out of the SUV, waving his gun in the air.

"I'm afraid you will be sorely disappointed to know that I am immune to your weapons. Especially now," Mark confirmed, his eyes focused on the SUV that began to lift from the ground with a single lift of his hand. "Stark designed me with various upgrades. General Barnes saw to it that I received them."

Like a tin can, the SUV was crushed, Steve and the driver running out of the way as it came crashing down.

"Can you feel her, General? You can, can't you? You wanted her to be faithful but she was always fated to him. You cannot mess with what is already designed."

Steve shuddered as he felt her once more, the euphoria of her orgasm thrumming through his mind as he shook with anger.

"You'll pay for this. So will she," Steve shouted. "If she's not there when I get back-"

"What will you do?" Mark asked quietly, his eyes glowing in amusement. "She's right where she needs to be."

"She belongs with me."

"I am unsure she would go willingly once she hears that you ordered the assassination of her mother under her father's order. You severely underestimate what will happen to you once she finds out."


End file.
